Saving Them
by LostGod
Summary: Kaitlyn's life was a mess: no job, no friends, and a painful past she's desperately running from. Just as she begins to think moving to the city was a bad idea, she meets a couple of skeletons who remind her what happiness is and introduce her to a new world full of fun, mystery, and some old friends and enemies that may still need saving... **New content out now!**
1. Grillby

**_Hello! Before you begin, whether you're reading this for the first time or whether you're rereading this, you should know that this story is currently undergoing what I am calling a "redeux." Basically, I'm going back through and rewriting the earlier chapters so they are a bit better and fit in more with the rest of the story. (NOTE: the first few chapters will still be shorter than the most recent ones, but I'm trying to fill them out as much as possible without getting too wordy or boring). From now up until when my "redeux" project is finished, I will mark the chapters that will be updated with "Re:" before the chapter name. This will hopefully help new readers know which chapters have truly been updated and which have yet to be. Once the project is over and the story is ready to progress, I will edit the chapter names and take out the "Re:" as they won't be necessary at that point._**

 ** _Thank you for your patience, enjoy the story~_**

* * *

It was a colder than usual night. The air was filled with a chilling wind and almost ominous lighting from the moon. Darkness had never really bothered Kaitlyn. It actually felt tranquil and safe and… _away_ from society. She never was one for crowds or social gatherings, and yet here she was, in a big city with loads of both of those. It was a little overwhelming; Kaitlyn had always lived on the countryside with her aunt Lucille and she wasn't really used to being around so many people.

"Watch it." A middle aged man grumbled when she accidentally brushed his shoulder with her own as she walked down a dimly lit street.

"S-sorry…" she averted her eyes and shuffled to make her way through the few people still out walking around so late at night.

Kaitlyn had been going to school in her hometown while living with aunt Luce since before she could remember, but she had only recently decided it would be best for her to leave. She never really knew what she wanted to do exactly and still didn't have anything in particular in mind, but she _did_ have a major in science and a minor in musical performance and theory. Oh, and college debt. She had a _lot_ of that…

College was fun but the fact remained that now she was out and she still didn't really know what she wanted to do with her life. That was one reason she decided to move here. Or at least, that's what she kept telling herself. There may have been other reasons for her wanting to leave including some… unwanted memories. She desperately trying to leave her past behind and start fresh, and _that_ is what really brought her to this land of 'opportunity' as well as the ever present interesting smells that she'd always heard accompanied large cities.

Kaitlyn dropped some extra change into the hat of a guitarist playing out on the street. He smiled warmly and thanked her before continuing on with his sorrowful melody.

 _Maybe our situations aren't as different as they seem…_ She thought as she continued forward and couldn't help but wonder if it would be her on the corner one day, playing for spare change. She wasn't too far off from it with where she was monetarily.

 _Luce was right about the city being tough_ , Kaitlyn thought to herself, rubbing her hands together in an attempt to warm herself up. Maybe it was just the dismal place she was at in her life, but everything in the city seemed harsh and colder than it was back home.

Home. Her plan had seemed so well thought out when she'd been back home in a warm bed and eating good food. She thought she'd come to the city, find a job by the second or third day, and be on a steady path to stability and happiness.

 _Yeah right, some plan that turned out to be,_ she thought to herself. Here she was, day 9 and she was still staying in a hotel, hopelessly job hunting day in and day out. It didn't help that the job options had become limited recently.

She felt weary and worn out from all of the recent events that had happened in the world as well as in her personal life. If Lucy was here, she'd tell her she shouldn't feel so old when she was still only 24, but Kaitlyn couldn't help but feel tired. She always thought she'd live a comfortable life on the countryside after college: married, a nice job, maybe even kids in the future…

Kaitlyn actually _had_ a great job lined up with a nice research facility but that was also before the monsters came to live in what they were calling 'Aboveground.'

Ah yes, monsters. Kaitlyn remembered the first day she saw them on the news, and while everyone else seemed to be terrified at first, she was mainly just curious. Sure, some of them looked a little intimidating but they seemed to be harmless for the most part. Unfortunately, Kaitlyn's future job site disagreed with her point of view and became one of the many businesses to be "human exclusive" in their research as well as their workers. This kind of outright bigotry absolutely enraged Kaitlyn and she quit before she had even begun. She refused to work for anyone who had such a mindless thought process.

Really, the amount of stupidity people with the whole "human exclusive" mindset was unbearable, in her opinion. It seemed everyone was finally attempting to take steps towards a more equal society, then something like this happens and it's like society starts reverting back to a medieval mentality. There have even been hate groups popping up all around town, though luckily, none of them are big enough to do any real damage… yet anyway.

Kaitlyn truly felt for the poor creatures that had come up out of the mountain. From the conversations she had seen on TV between their leaders and town authorities, they all seemed pretty nice. Nicer than most humans anyway… She shook her head when her thoughts wandered to one in particular.

Kaitlyn shivered and looked up at the cloudless sky. She was walking through the local park in the middle of the city. She liked to wander through the trees and listen to the endless chatter of crickets and owls after a long day of job hunting to relax and forget her problems for a while. It was a beautiful park, one with a small lake nearby that glistened when the moon shone against it and great willow trees that fluttered in the wind. She sighed taking in the view of dancing fireflies reflecting against the lake's water one more time before turning to leave for her small, dingy hotel room.

Her shoes scraped against the uneven pavement as she checked her phone.

 _Damn. It's later than I thought,_ Kaitlyn thought and squinted as the screen lights up and flashes 12:27 brightly. Her stomach growled loudly and she realized that she had forgotten to get any food for dinner. Again.

 _Not like I have money for food anyway…_ Kaitlyn thought, feeling a little apathetic. It was then that the scent of grease from a nearby restaurant suddenly filled the air. Her stomach growled again at the smell and she found herself being drawn to what looked like a cute little pub. The sign on the door read "GRILLBYS" in large letters.

She rummaged around her pockets in hopes of finding some spare change and nearly squealed in delight when her fingers brushed against a few bills crammed together with some old receipts.

She took another moment to ensure there were no signs forbidding monster or human customers, though she'd never really seen the latter, and, satisfied when she didn't find one, Kaitlyn walked inside.


	2. Girl Meets Sansation

Kaitlyn found a welcoming warmth and pleasant atmosphere when she walked into the place called 'Grillbys.' There weren't many people inside. Scratch that, there technically weren't any people inside. However, upon the first step in, she is greeted with the stares of a few monsters. She was somewhat nervous and hesitant to meet any of the stares, opting to head straight to one of the bar stools in the back instead. Sure, she had nothing against monsters and believed they should be treated equally, but she had never really met one before either. And she was still just as socially awkward around them as she was around humans.

Most of the monsters had headed straight for the city to look for homes and jobs, and she had only recently moved here. She occasionally saw them on the street or passing by and smiled or waved at them but she hadn't ever been surrounded before. _Hell, being surrounded by humans is already enough of a struggle for me._ Kaitlyn thought to herself as she took a seat at the bar. _  
_

Though she had to admit, they were a sight to behold at a closer proximity. She hadn't seen any workers yet, but the patrons sitting in the booths were all unique and exotic looking. There was a couple in the corner, whispering and giggling to one another, that looked like large dogs in weird hoods. Someone else near the center of the restaurant was fluffy and pink, with ears like a bunny, but was so short Kaitlyn had to wonder how it got up to its seat in the first place. One other customer was sat on the very opposite end of the bar and looked like a literal fish out of water. Kaitlyn had to stifle a squeak of surprise when he took his glass of water and, rather than drinking it, he simply splashed the water onto his face, letting his scales soak it all up, not even a drop hit the floor.

She looked away quickly and picked up a menu. As she read the options, she realized it all looked like regular food that could be found in any diner. Though there were a couple of options that seemed a little… odd to her; hot cats, nice cream, water sausages, spider cider. Kaitlyn couldn't help but widen her eyes in half shock, half curiosity at a couple of the items and pictures listed.

"a newcomer, huh?" a deep voice spoke up directly to Kaitlyn's right.

She jumped slightly, she didn't remember anyone sitting there when she had walked in... She peeked over to her right towards the voice and found herself face to- er- skull? With a skeleton monster.

She smiled slightly, though felt like it just made her look more nervous, and shyly managed a, "How'd you guess?" Taking another glance at the menu, she sighed before folding it over and setting it down gently.

 _It feels like he's staring…_ she thought, fidgeting in her seat. Curious to see if the monster now beside her was indeed still looking at her, her eyes darted over to him again quickly. He was looking down at his own menu. Seeing the opportunity, she took a moment to fully assess him.

He had a large grin on his face but it seemed more of a laid back smile than an actually happy one. He wore what looked to be a white turtleneck shirt and blue zip-up hoodie with a fur lined hood, and black, loose-fitting shorts and… were those slippers? In this weather? Kaitlyn shook her head and focused back on the skeletons face to find that he was looking back at her now with a raised eyebrow- er- brow bone.

"ya know kiddo, if you want to get a better look, I could always let cha take a picture," he winked and smirked a bit.

Kaitlyn's face flushed slightly at being caught staring as she turned to face forward again.

"S-sorry. I've never actually seen a skeleton up close before. At least, not one outside of a body."

He chuckled at this and said, "hey, it's fine kid. i'm actually glad you came and sat down. i was beginning to feel bonely."

She turned back to look at him, her lips twitched in trying to suppress a grin. Did he really just make a pun? And what did he mean he's glad she came to sit with him? She was here first! At least, she was pretty sure she was here first… Then again, she hadn't heard him approach either...

He laughed at her flustered expression and stretched out a bony hand to the girl, "hi, my name is Sans. Sans the, uh, well, skeleton, heh. nice to meet ya kid."

"My name's Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn Foss the, um, human I guess," she said, taking his slender hand. Her face went red as a loud sound of flatulence fills the space between the two for a couple of seconds before he holds up his hand to reveal a small whoopee cushion.

"works every time and only gets better," he laughs at the stunned face Kaitlyn had until she joined in his laughter.

"Okay, you got me," she chuckled, "so tell me Mr. Funny bones, what food would you suggest to a hungry newcomer such as myself from this fine establishment?"

Sans pondered this for a moment before motioning a hot guy over from behind the bar. No, really. Hot. As in the man was literally made of fire. He was pretty well dressed and Kaitlyn was honestly amazed that none of his clothes were currently on fire. She briefly wondered if his clothes were somehow fireproof or if this was just some of the monster magic at work that she had been hearing about. She was surprised she hadn't seen him sooner, though he _did_ seem like the quiet type as he slowly walked over and waved hello to Kaitlyn before motioning to Sans to order.

"give us a double order of burg please, Grillbz." Sans handed the menus to the flaming man as he placed the order. He turned to Kaitlyn for a second, asking if she wanted any ketchup with it before 'Grillbz' headed back. She nodded and Sans turned back to the man asking for two bottles.

She raised an eyebrow, thinking one bottle between the two of them would probably be enough but just as soon dropped the thought. No need to make a big deal, maybe the guy just likes ketchup or doesn't like sharing or something. Sans faces Kaitlyn and lazily places his skull in his hand.

"so, you just visiting the city or are you new?"

"Is it that obvious I don't belong?" She laughed awkwardly and looked down at her hands.

"nah, but most folks from this area wouldn't be caught _dead_ in a place like this," Sans smiled when Kaitlyn giggled a bit at his pun.

"I'm new. Looking for a job and some opportunity just like every other small country girl who comes to a big city," she frowned slightly, "I seem to be striking out everywhere I look though."

"oh, is that so? i always thought only monsters had problems getting jobs in cities like this."

Kaitlyn flinched a bit, feeling slightly ashamed of her chauvinistic race. "Yeah, well I'm sure it's easy for _some_ to land a job, but I'm not going to work for a place that's biased in who they help or hire," she huffed.

If Sans was shocked at all by her comment, he didn't show it, but Kaitlyn did catch his grin widen just the slightest bit after she said it. The flaming man she assumed to be Grillby brought out two delicious looking burgers as well as large bottles of ketchup before Sans could say anything in response.

"thanks, Grillbz. we'll let you know if we need anything else."

The fire-man nodded and silently went back to polishing the glasses further back behind the counter. Kaitlyn thought about how nice it must be to work in such a laid back place and sighed.

"something got ya down, kiddo?"

"Yeah, maybe…" she wasn't sure she wanted to go into her sad life at the moment with someone she'd only just met.

"let down a little by the city, were we?"

She shrugged. "A little. I just had so many plans and I thought everything would turn out okay but," she flicked a nearby small grain of salt away, "nothing has been okay… not since…" Kaitlyn shook her head. "Never mind, sorry if I bummed you out." She gave a weak smile.

Sans gave a grin. "buck up, buddy. everything'll be alright." He slid one of the bottles of ketchup over to her. "now, you better eat up or it'll get cold."

Kaitlyn nodded as she took the bottle from Sans. It had been a long time since she'd talked to someone like this, just casually. It felt nice.

Maybe tonight wouldn't be too bad after all...


	3. Ketching Up

"bone appetite, kid," Sans winked before picking up a bottle and going to town on his burger. Kaitlyn began to spread some ketchup of her own on the burger before her but kept peeking over to see when, or even if, Sans would stop. Her mouth nearly dropped open as she sees him stop spilling the ketchup on his plate only to tip the bottle up to his mouth.

Oh God, he wasn't going to-

He squeezed the bottle until he had a good mouthful of the stuff, then proceeding to gulp it all down.

Oh my God! He-he's drinking it!

Sans sees the shock register on Kaitlyn's face and begins to chuckle.

"what's wrong kid? brain can't quite ketchup to what you see?" He waved the bottle around as he spoke and winked.

Her brain took a few seconds to process the situation and his words. Here she was, late at night in a place she'd never been before, with a skeleton monster beside her, drinking ketchup straight from the bottle, and making a pun about it. The absurdity of the situation hit her like a train and she busted out laughing.

"W-wow, th-that was sooo-ooo bad!" she managed to say between gasps and hiccups.

Grillby hears the commotion and offered the new girl a cup of water which Kaitlyn took graciously. She took a few gulps and smiled at Sans again before picking up her burger and finally digging in.

"Oh my God, this is delicious!" Kaitlyn exclaimed as though she hadn't just broken down laughing like a maniac in front of someone she barely knew.

"you alright bud?" Sans looked somewhat concerned after seeing her outburst though admittedly satisfied at the reaction.

Kaitlyn took a moment to pretend to think about it as she cautiously poked at her stomach, which undeniably hurt a bit from the laugh attack, before turning back to him and with the most serious, deadpan stare she could muster, she turned to him and said, "Actually, I'm all left." Sans, not expecting her to play along in his pun game, laughed nearly as hard as she had.

"I'm fine though, really," she said as their laughter died down, "I just… I haven't been able to laugh like that in a while." She gave a sheepish look, hoping he wouldn't ask why.

Sans threw her a curious glance but changed the subject, sensing her discomfort. Instead of questioning her, he gestured to the food saying, "ya may wanna finish eating before it gets cold… or before i make another masterful joke." She giggled and continued to dig into the burger. She still didn't really understand the whole ketchup thing Sans seemed to have going on, but she decided to shrug it off. The guy can like whatever he wants to. She had her own weird quirks so who was she to judge?

They talked and laughed for a while until they had not only finished their burgers but also an order of fries. They sat for a while talking while Kaitlyn sipped a chocolate shake she decided to order and Sans finished off his second bottle of ketchup.

"so, kid, where're you staying now that you've moved to a big city like this? please tell me it's somewhere cheaper than my place."

A look of disgust passed over her face for a moment because she knew that he was probably being over-charged simply because he's a monster and many people took advantage of them not knowing any better. Sans doesn't seem like a fool though. He probably said that because he knows he's being cheated, she thought to herself before replying, "Not too far; just about 30 minutes from here. I'm staying at a hotel so I doubt it's any cheaper but I'm trying to find a better place to stay permanently."

Sans nodded. "well, it gets kinda dangerous out here around this time. if you'd like, you're more than welcome to crash on mine and my bro's couch. it's not much, but it's warm and only 10 minutes from here."

Kaitlyn hesitated in answering. He seemed nice but she had only just met him. And she didn't know who his brother was either…

He sensed her hesitation and said, "hey, no pressure kiddo. if you'd rather i can walk you home. i just don't really feel comfortable letting you walk by yourself in the middle of the night. i've found there's a whole other breed of 'monsters' out during this time."

She smiled and shook her head. "I'd like to stay at your place if that's alright." She felt foolish for suspecting him of anything. He was one of the friendliest people (or skeletons) she had ever met, granted she hadn't really met any other skeletons but he was better than a majority of people anyway.

"Grillbz, put hers on my tab with mine, would ya?" Sans nodded toward the fire monster who made an expression as if to roll his eyes but nodded back to the skeleton. Kaitlyn could tell they must have been good, long-time friends.

"You don't have to do that! I have my own money…" She began to pull out a few of the folded bills and coins she had in her pocket. Sans turned his head and pushed her hand with the money away.

"s'okay, i don't mind covering for a new pal." He winked and gave a wide grin. "besides, maybe i'll let you cover the next one."

"Thank you, that's very kind."

Sans shrugged. "don't go thanking me yet. like i said, you might be covering the next one, and who knows how much ketchup i'll down when i'm not the one paying."

Kaitlyn chuckled. "I'm glad there's a possibility of a next time."

He smiled and held his hand out to lead the way. "shall we?" She smiled and headed towards the door with Sans close behind, slipping a few bills beneath a menu for a tip and smiling to Grillby before they left.

On the way back to Sans' house, Kaitlyn told him more about herself and where she was from. He noticed she avoided certain topics, such as her parents and friends. Sans honestly wasn't too sure what to make of her. She seemed extremely nice, especially for an adult human, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. There were many people who appeared nicer on the surface than they actually were.

Sans thought back to a human 'friend' Papyrus made back when they had first moved Aboveground. They lived in the monster capital back then... As it turned out, she only wanted to use poor Paps to get good publicity and 'exclusive interviews.' Within no time, the sneaky bitch had the headline 'Questionable Monsters and Their Motives' plastered on every street corner for a solid 2 weeks. She hadn't forgotten to add plenty of pictures of the skeleton brothers and a few of their friends. Sans had to be on the lookout for a long time; the entire human side of the city had a personal vendetta on him and Paps, that was when they moved to the city they were currently in. However, before they left, Sans made sure the 'nice woman' understood that she was never to come near him or his loved ones ever again.

That all happened around a month ago, so he was sure the humans from there had forgotten by now; honestly, the only thing shorter than some of their tempers was their attention span. He had even heard of humans who got into relationships one day only to end it the next. It was crazy! Monsters hardly ever left the one they chose to partner with, or what humans called "marry." It seemed many humans married for lust rather than love though, perhaps that was the difference. Of course, there were always exceptions but… Sans couldn't help but wonder if the young woman now walking beside him had also already been married. She'd been avoiding any mention of past relationships even though she'd been telling him all about where she was from.

Sans snuck a side glance over to the woman walking beside him. She was attractive, at least on human standards he supposed, so it would be hard to believe she'd never been in a relationship before. She had blond hair that almost looked silver in the moonlight and eyes that weren't quite blue or gray but somewhere in between the two. Her skin was extremely fair and was almost as white as Sans' bones under the pale moon but looked soft and warm. He wondered briefly what it would be like to touch it but quickly shook the thought away, turning his head slightly so she wouldn't see the blue blush creeping up to his cheekbones.

Sans looked back in the girl's direction and realized she wasn't standing next to him any longer but was a few paces back, staring up towards the sky.

"what's up, kid? Ya look a little starry eyed," Sans' grin widened slightly when Kaitlyn giggled at his pun.

"Oh, it's nothing much… I'm kinda missing home. You can see so much more on the countryside than you can in the city. All of the lights are pretty in their own way, but nothing compares to the stars."

Sans looked up to the stars. He was amazed the first time he had seen the stars and tried to picture what the sky would look like if he could see a billion of them up there, twinkling against the dark canvas.

"i've never seen any more than this. what's it like out where you're from?"

Kaitlyn turned to Sans with wide eyes.

"You've never seen them? Sans, you have to go. Everyone has to see the stars from the countryside at least once in their life! As for what it looks like," she turned her face back up towards the sky, "it's… indescribably beautiful. Like millions of fireflies stuck in the sky but even better."

Sans laughed.

"would it be a bad time to ask what the heck a 'fire fly' is?"

Kaitlyn looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and pity before smiling and saying, "I guess I'll just have to show you both of them some time."

"i'm looking forward to it," Sans said as he began to walk again with a beaming human girl close behind him, attempting to describe the stars and galaxies beyond the city skies.

"hm... we had a place kinda like that Underground."

Kaitlyn turned to him with wide eyes. "Really?"

Sans nodded as he took what he knew was a wrong turn. It wouldn't set them behind too much, just a few extra minutes.

God, what was he doing?

"yeah, there was this cave with blue glowing crystals all stuck in the wall. they didn't really twinkle or anything, but if you went further down, there'd be another tunnel with yellow crystals that would sparkle and light up one second then dim again."

"It sounds wonderful."

Sans turned his head and began to laugh, thinking she couldn't be serious, until he saw her face. Her eyes stared ahead, glimmering and with an almost innocent gleam.

"heh, it's really nothing too great…" It was hard for him to imagine anyone wanting to go down to the place they had been trying to escape for so long.

"I'm sure that couldn't be true." She smiled as they stopped in front of Sans' house.

"well, this is it. not much, but it's home." He dug around for his keys before sticking them in the lock. "oh, and make sure you stay quiet. my bro's already asleep."

Kaitlyn nodded and made a motion as though to zip her lips together. Sans scoffed and turned the key until they heard a click.


	4. G--

Kaitlyn had actually been impressed with the house Sans had brought her to. It was a little small, but it had bright flowers planted by the front door and small bushes trimmed into various spirals and squares and… a skeleton head. Weird, but... cute. She shrugged it off.

It looked nice but Kaitlyn couldn't see Sans doing any gardening… she wondered if his brother was the one who did all of this. The house also appeared to have… Christmas lights? Yep, those were definitely Christmas lights. They were spiraled around the top of the roof, as well as the balcony and the pillars on either side of the front entryway. It was much too late for Christmas, though they still didn't seem out of place. The house looked cozy and made her smile. It almost reminded her of home...

Sans opened the door and waved her inside.

"come on in, kiddo. i'll take ya on the grand tour if you'd like." His voice was low as he flicked on the lights and shut the door behind her.

She nodded and walked into the welcoming warmth, shaking off the cold of February. The inside was just as cozy as the outside and set Kaitlyn at ease. It was small, but comfortable. Sans walked her through the kitchen, pointing out which cupboards contained food, then cups and plates, and then one that had bones in it. Kaitlyn raised an eyebrow at the bones and looked over to Sans. He shrugged and mumbled something about a 'special attack' and a stray dog that would sometimes come by.

"and this is my personal favorite place," Sans waved Kaitlyn over into the living room next, "this is nap central."

Kaitlyn laughed, "I hear ya. I can feel pretty pillow if I don't get in at least one nap for the day."

Sans' grin widened at her pun. She could've sworn she heard him breathe "nice one" too but wasn't sure.

"i'd take you upstairs for the rest of the tour but i don't know if i'm up to the challenge, so i'll just tell ya what's there. the first door is the Paps, my bro's, room, the second one is the bathroom, and the third is my room. if you don't mind i'd like to ask you to stay out of our rooms unless we say you can come in." Sans winked. "ya never know what you may walk in on otherwise."

Kaitlyn nodded and asked, "So, what's your brother like?"

Sans beamed. "he's the coolest. best bro anyone could ask for. i bet he'll be thrilled to see you in the morning. he's got a weird thing for humans." He placed a couple of extra blankets and a pillow on the couch for Kaitlyn.

She scoffed. "He must be pretty innocent if he thinks that highly of us."

Sans shrugged, not wanting to offend her by agreeing but not disagreeing either. After all, he didn't really like most humans. Didn't trust them. Most were too shifty and always looking out for only their own well-being without considering the welfare of others much, even within their own species. He fluffed the pillow once more before turning towards her again.

"well, i'm gonna go ahead and hit the sack. feel free to watch some tv if you can't sleep or something, just keep the volume down so Paps doesn't wake up." Kaitlyn nodded and bid the skeleton goodnight, thinking he must really care for his brother. She snuggled into her make-shift bed and closed her eyes, wishing for the first time in a long time that she had had a brother or sister of her own. She shifted and dismissed the thought. No use in wishing for the impossible, she thought before closing her eyes, noticing when the light to Sans' room shut off from beneath his door frame.

Kaitlyn had no problem falling asleep, but STAYING asleep proved to be a challenge. She woke up from a nightmare at about 4:30 in the morning and was too freaked out to close her eyes afterwards.

She had dreamed of being in a dark room, though it was more of an open, endless space. Nothing was around her but an inky black that felt almost smothering and made it difficult to breathe. She shivered a bit, thinking it was somehow colder here than it had been outside. She was completely alone and, though she couldn't really explain it, she knew that no one beyond where she stood even remembered her existence. She had been wiped from existence and no one would even miss her. That wasn't the worst part of the nightmare though; the worst part, the thing that jerked her away from that dreadful void and stirred her into consciousness, was that just when she thought she would be alone forever, she felt someone… no, something, watching her from behind. When she turned to see if she could spot who or what it was, she was met with a pair of glowing eyes and a sinister smile. A voice erupted from the place the eyes were at but it resounded throughout the void, booming and raspy, as though it was spoken directly into Kaitlyn's mind. It was a child's voice but didn't carry the sweet and innocent tone that children usually had when speaking. The sound scrapped across Kaitlyn's body and crept like claws up her back.

"You will never be free from this place. You'll be alone here forever and ever." The voice wracked her brain and rang in her ears long after fading away. She held her hands over her ears and gripped her head in her hands, though it hardly helped keep the voice at bay.

"Well, not completely alone." The eyes disappeared for a moment before reappearing directly in front of Kaitlyn. The smile the supposed child was wearing creeped up further on it's face, revealing stark white teeth that began to ooze a dark red, almost black, color. The same goo leaked from the corners of the child's blood-red eyes. It looked like it was crying streams of blood and rot.

"I'll always be here with you. Your fears. Failures. Regrets. Always there to remind you..." Kaitlyn watched as the eyes glowed brighter and burned themselves into her mind; her heart raced and pounded against her chest.

"I'll be here to kill you. Again and again and again. Then I'll wait for you to come back so you can see me kill all of THEM too!" They laughed and the sound was like shattered glass that pierced through Kaitlyn's body. She wanted to scream. She wanted to escape from this hell.

She wanted to die.

The thing in front of her appeared more than happy to oblige, and it pulled a knife from behind it's back, the end rusted with coats of blood and white dust. "Don't worry, I'll make it nice and slow so I can relish in your silent screams."

No matter how hard she tried to run away or shriek or cry, she couldn't. She stood there, frozen in place as if the body she inhabited wasn't her own. All she could feel was fear until the child was suddenly wrapped in darkness before it could bring the knife's blade down on her and disappeared. She stayed motionless, waiting for her heart to calm down until the same darkness that had taken the child began to wrap itself around her. A part came up and wrapped itself around her wrist before traveling up her arm. The darkness morphed before her and started forming a body and white face, but it looked odd, almost transparent at times. She wasn't really afraid of him, though she'd be lying to herself if she didn't admit he definitely caused her a feeling of discomfort. A floating hand reached out and touched her lightly, right where her heart would be located.

Suddenly, pain blossomed from her chest. She looked to see if the child had come back and stabbed her but nothing was there except for the dark being in front of her. She realized the agonizing feeling wasn't coming from a wound, rather, it was coming from an emotion, but it wasn't hers. It wasn't hers but she was definitely experiencing it. Heavy. Heavy. Her chest felt so heavy she could barely breathe. Just before she felt herself being pulled from the dream, she recognized the weight: sorrow.

She woke up with tears streaming down her face. She didn't understand who was sad or why, but she knew that the emotion didn't come from within herself. Not entirely, anyway. Even knowing this, Kaitlyn's heart still ached for whoever was in pain, suffering from such sadness. She quietly sobbed into the borrowed pillow she'd been lying on for what felt like a lifetime.

When she finally calmed down, Kaitlyn wiped away the remaining tears and settled back down onto the couch. She knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep after what had just happened but she didn't want to escape the warmth the blankets provided just yet. She focused on organizing her thoughts and clearing her head a bit.

Kaitlyn suddenly froze, her heart rate picking back up. The room she was in wasn't completely dark but there was one corner that was pitch black. She tried to act as nonchalant as possible, pretending to make another attempt at sleep as she squinted into the darkness. Of course, she couldn't see anything but she could most certainly feel something. As though someone was hiding in the corner watching her. It wasn't a menacing feeling like the one she'd had in her dream when the child looked at her, but it was certainly unsettling.

She debated getting up and searching the area but decided against it. If the thing watching her was hostile, it would more than likely attack her if she got up… but what if it tried to hurt Sans or his brother? She also wanted to know who or what it was. Damn her curiosity. She stirred and sat up a bit, still looking at the dark area. Just as she was about to ask who, or what, was there, the feeling suddenly disappeared. Strange.

Kaitlyn just shook her head and laid back down to suffer through the rest of her sleepless night.

Sans woke up the next day feeling slightly dazed. He hadn't slept much after getting home last night, but that was normal. He never expected a good night's sleep anymore. His skull pounded with memories, refusing to shake off the most recent dream he had awoken from. It was usually the same dream, every night, just different variations. He constantly dreamed about the previous timelines. Some were good memories of hanging out with Frisk and Papyrus, solving puzzles, eating spaghetti, making snow sculptures and laughing together. Some were… well, not that great. Lately all he seemed to be able to dream of were the not so pleasant thoughts and fears he secretly had.

Sans rubbed his chest along the line he could still feel the sharp steel of a cold knife cut through. At least he had only dreamed about his own death this time. The worst dreams were about his brother or even the kid. He still sometimes saw bright red pools of blood at his feet or the sound of bone grating against bone, piercing skin, a Soul shattering, before Frisk would Reset yet again. And his brother's death tore him apart in a dream just as much as it had when it was real. Each time he'd awaken from a dream of watching Papyrus die, he'd wake up feeling helpless and confused and angry, the same way he always felt when the kid chose that path.

Despite his anger and confusion towards Frisk, he always felt terrible when he'd fight the kid; it never felt right. It didn't help that every time they would fight, the kid would ironically looked dead eyed and soulless up until the moment of their death. Sans remembered holding their body sometimes and watching their face as they died. It was always strange, their eyes would flash an ominous red before fading back to their natural green, and the kid would look up at Sans and smile. Their face always seemed to reflect regret and sorrow, as if they wanted Sans' forgiveness and at the same time were thanking him for killing them.

At first, it infuriated Sans. It was as if the kid had wanted to die all along! The last thing he wanted to do was give them a reason to feel grateful or happy before dying. He wanted them to experience the same pain he had been through, time after time after time. It wasn't until a previous timeline when Sans finally asked the kid what was up and found out the truth.

Frisk had admitted that the first few Resets was their doing because they wanted to stay in the underground a little longer with all of the friends they had met. They wanted to save Flowey, who Sans learned was actually Asriel Dreemurr, the king and queen's dead son, and bring them to the surface, too. Frisk had even admitted that they had killed a couple of monsters on their own a few times but had always felt so awful about it afterwards that they would immediately Reset.

Sans had asked them that if that was the truth, why had they killed everyone during the more recent timelines? Frisk had revealed the truth about Chara to Sans then. The Soul of another child, Chara's Soul, had been forcing itself into Frisk's body little by little each time they Reset. At first, Chara's determination and soul overpowered Frisk's and Frisk would be forced to play the silent spectator every time Chara killed someone. After Frisk became aware of Chara, they began fighting to stay in control of their own body to stop Chara's cruelty. Eventually, Frisk's determination to protect their friends overcame Chara's determination to kill and Frisk's soul ejected Chara's from their body.

What Frisk didn't know was that Sans and all of the others already knew who Chara was, though when he asked the others if they knew who Chara was, their memories were just as cloudy as his own. But when Sans asked Toriel who it was, she remembered perfectly. Chara was the first fallen human. The first and the last human that Toriel and Asgore had adopted into their family.

Sans recalled thinking it made sense for only the queen to remember clearly if Chara had been the first fallen human. It meant Chara was around before the first major shift in the timeline, but gone soon after the first major timeline shift happened. Only those who spent a lot of time around the kid would remember who they were, and the only people that would've included was Toriel, Asgore, Asriel, or G. Half of them were gone while the other half were reclusive, so it didn't surprise him much that Chara got a little lost to history.

He found all of this out in the timeline before the one Sans was currently living. When he met Frisk in the previous timeline, Frisk immediately told him about ejecting Chara's Soul and that she wouldn't have to Reset anymore. She even showed him the Reset button before smashing it to bits before his eyes, telling him that from now on, they would be Continuing the story exclusively, Sans remembered he'd almost broken down crying in front of the kid, though he somehow had managed to keep his emotions under reign at the time.

The only thing that really worried Sans now was that no one knew where Chara's Soul had gone. Frisk had tried finding Chara's Soul so she could it, making sure Chara could never hurt anyone ever again, but she couldn't find it even with Sans help. Sans tried to rationalize the Soul's disappearance, thinking that perhaps Chara's existence had dissipated because a Soul can't survive without a body, but he honestly wasn't so sure and Frisk wasn't convinced either. Chara's soul had survived an awfully long time on its own before Frisk fell down. He suspected there was a space between timelines that Chara could go to anytime they needed refuge, similar to the place Frisk had described when they would Reset the timeline. Maybe even where G was now...

Stranger still, after Sans and Frisk began searching for Chara's Soul, the timeline had mysteriously Reset into the timeline they were currently in. Sans knew it couldn't have been Frisk, he'd seen her break the Reset. Sans constantly thought of the possibility that Chara might have...

He shook his head. He couldn't afford thinking about it too much and risk Papyrus sensing something wrong. Only he and Frisk remembered Chara's existence, though it was sometimes a struggle to recall the demon child. There was the possibility that Flowey also remembered but god knows what goes on in his demented little mind. Sans knew about Asriel and that Frisk had taken a liking to the little flower but he still didn't trust the plant. In reality, Frisk probably still held onto the hope that Asriel could still be saved, though Sans doubted it. Either way, they couldn't very well ask the flower about Chara. It couldn't be trusted, and it probably wouldn't know anyway.

Chara's non-existence was almost the same case as what had happened with G… As though once they were ejected from the timeline, all memories of them passed away unless you knew about the different timelines. Once someone who wasn't a factor in the time anomalies remembered someone and said their name aloud, they would be called back into existence. Sans had found that out in his research about the timelines, though Chara and G were both beings Sans would prefer forgotten and thrown away.

He pushed the worrisome thoughts to the back of his skull and slowly got up from his bed. He heard noise coming from downstairs and briefly wondered why Paps hadn't at least tried waking him up this morning like he usually did.

"HUMAN! ALTHOUGH I USUALLY PREFER MY MORNING SPAGHETTI, THIS IS EXCEPTIONALLY DELICIOUS!" His voice, though muffled, could still be heard clearly through Sans' door.

Oh yeah, that's right. Sans had brought a human girl back with him last night because he didn't want her getting hurt on her way home. Sans frowned a bit at the memory. At the time, he hadn't thought much of it but now that he was fully rested it bothered him a bit. He didn't really trust humans and certainly never invited them over. He didn't really remember why he had offered, it just felt right at the time. Eh, maybe he had just had too much ketchup and it went to his head.

Maybe i should lay off for a while… The noise from downstairs grew louder as Papyrus gushed over whatever the kid had made. Sans sighed and slowly got dressed before descending down the stairs to see what the new day, and their new guest, had in store.


	5. The Ally Kat

Kaitlyn smiled as Papyrus ate the last few bites of his pancakes she had made for breakfast. Since she never went back to sleep, she decided to get up and make an early breakfast. At 6:30, she heard someone coming downstairs.

"Brother? What are you doing up so earl-" Kaitlyn turned around to greet him but before she could say a word, the tall skeleton squealed in excitement.

"WOWIE! IT'S NOT MY BROTHER AT ALL! IT'S…" he blinked at Kaitlyn a few times, seeming to only just realize that he didn't know this person.

The girl chuckled and said, "My name is Kaitlyn. I met your brother last night and it was really late so he offered to let me stay here." She gave him a smile, thinking that this must be 'Paps,' the brother Sans talked about.

Papyrus' face somehow stretched into a huge smile. "DOUBLE WOWIE! YOU MUST BE A REALLY SPECIAL HUMAN IF SANS LIKES YOU!"

Kaitlyn felt her face flush a bit at the praise.

They talked a bit, learning about one another, until the pancakes were done. Kaitlyn apologized to Papyrus after learning that he typically liked to eat morning spaghetti for breakfast but he didn't seem to mind too much. He mentioned something about a cooking lesson for her so she could learn how to make it. Kaitlyn wasn't entirely sure if 'morning spaghetti' differed from regular spaghetti but replied that she would love to have him teach her sometime…. Even though spaghetti for breakfast sounded somewhat odd to her.

They continued talking until they were both stuffed and heard Sans walk into the kitchen.

"SANS, YOU LAZYBONES! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME WE WOULD HAVE A GUEST TODAY?"

Sans shrugged. "didn't really plan it bro. i guess you could say i was feelin bonely so the kid walked me home." Sans' grin widened as his brother groaned at the pun and caught Kaitlyn's smile.

"SANS IT IS MUCH TOO EARLY FOR THIS KIND OF SILLINESS! BESIDES, YOU'VE USED THAT ONE BEFORE!"

"it's a classic. besides, the kiddo seems to find it pretty humerous."

Papyrus glared at his brother, his white face almost had a reddish-orange hue to it. Kaitlyn laughed, covering her mouth so Papyrus wouldn't notice.

"you ok Paps? i can patella you're upset."

Not able to hold it in any longer, Kaitlyn burst into a fit of giggles. Papyrus turned to her saying, "OH NO, SANS YOU BROKE THE HUMAN WITH YOUR AWFUL PUNS!"

Kaitlyn waved him away to show she was fine before saying with a grin, "No, Paps. It'd be a fibula to say I dislike puns myself."

Sans chuckled at the pun and Papyrus shouted, "NO HUMAN, NOT YOU TOO!"

Kaitlyn and Sans continued to laugh and crack puns until Papyrus became so exasperated, he threw his hands up in the air declaring, "OH FORGET IT! YOU TWO ARE OBVIOUSLY NOT STOPPING ANYTIME SOON SO I'M GOING TO UNDYNE'S HOUSE!" And with a final huff, Papyrus was out the door.

Kaitlyn began to clean the kitchen as Sans stood by the entryway watching her.

"so kid, what's your plan?"

"My plan?"

"yeah, last night you said you were staying in a hotel. where do you plan on living?"

Kaitlyn felt Sans' eyes burning into her back. She stopped scrubbing at the pan she had been cleaning and thought about what to say next carefully. She had an odd feeling that he didn't trust her. Sans had been very kind to her and gave her no reason to feel like that but she had always had a weird kind of sixth sense about this kind of stuff.

She used to get picked on and called a freak for knowing what other people around her were feeling when she was younger. After awhile, she just stopped mentioning it to people and pretending she only knew as much as anyone else would. She even tried to stifle the weird feelings she'd get, but even now, if she concentrated her thoughts on someone, she sometimes swore she could almost feel what they were feeling. She still tried not to do this often because it felt intrusive to her… as if she was digging around another person's heart. She could tell without using this abnormal ability that Sans was asking the question half out of concern but also half because he didn't want her to assume she could stay with them. She looked up and out of the window in front of her, still contemplating a response since she didn't really have a plan.

"im gonna go out on a limb here and say you don't know," Sans said, probably thinking that she was staring at the tree right outside.

Kaitlyn smiled weakly when she caught on to his pun. "Well, I guess you could say I'm in a sticky situation." She heard Sans chuckle as she wiped her hands on a nearby towel and turned to face him. "There was an apartment complex I wanted to look at yesterday but never got around to. It's not too far from here so once I'm finished cleaning up I'll be leafing to go take a look."

Sans' grinned widened; he could get used to this girl. He quickly shook the thought from his head. He had to be careful, he still didn't know her very well. No matter how nice she was he couldn't let his guard down, not when he and his friends had come so far.

Kaitlyn closed her eyes. She felt his unease, even though she wasn't particularly concentrated on him or trying to get a read on him. "Odd…" she mumbled under her breath. Sans made a face that resembled raising an eyebrow. She shook her head and turned around, not really wanting to freak Sans out or give him a real reason not to trust her or find her weird.

Sans turns and says he needed to get ready for work, so she finished cleaning up the kitchen while he was upstairs doing… whatever it was he needed to to get ready. She could tell he had decided not to ask questions that she probably wouldn't answer about her strange behavior. Kaitlyn quickly scribbled her phone number and a small note on a piece of paper for the brothers before she left the kitchen.

With a sigh, she gathered her things and opened the front door to the small house. Before she left, she turned and yelled a quick goodbye to Sans, though she was almost positive he had actually fallen asleep. She didn't know why, but he struck her a little on the lackadaisical side. With a small giggle to herself, she stepped out into the brisk early spring air and quietly shut the door behind her. She had no way of knowing whether or not Sans would decide to reach out to her again, but she truly hoped this wouldn't be the last she'd see of him.

Sans opened his eyes when he heard the front door click shut. He had decided to take a quick catnap while Kaitlyn finished cleaning since he really didn't have to do much to get ready for work anyway. Besides, he needed the rest, his dream from the night before had kept him awake for most of the night.

He didn't really know what to make of the girl. She was sweet and liked puns, which in Sans' opinion qualified her as at least a decent human being. Papyrus also seemed to like her alot and Sans felt comfortable around her oddly enough. Despite all of that, something was definitely off about her. Sans knew she was a human but she appeared to give off spikes of pure energy, particularly during different interval of last night while she was asleep and once this morning, and that was certainly something a human usually wouldn't be capable of.

He could sense her soul's energy and had even felt it wrap around him while he was talking to her earlier. He shouldn't be able to feel a human's energy like that unless her soul was actually outside of her body. A human soul also shouldn't be able to reach out with it's energy. That was something only monster souls could accomplish… and even then, only very skilled monsters could physically manifest their magic with their Souls still inside their body like that.

Still, even when he felt her energy envelope him and reach into his soul for the small moment of time when her eyes met his, it didn't feel malicious or even on purpose. The moment it barely grazed his soul she had averted her eyes and mumbled to herself as though she was somewhat startled by it.

Sans sighed and placed a boney hand on his head.

guess i'll have to play this one by ear for a while til i know what's up with the kid, he thought to himself as he pulled away from the comfy sheets of his bed and teleported downstairs. It was nice being alone in the house so he could use this trick. He didn't really like people knowing about this little secret he had. In fact, the only ones who knew about it was Papyrus, who didn't really know he was teleporting but thought he just knew a lot of secret 'shortcuts,' and Frisk. The only reason he had shown Frisk was because he didn't really think it would matter if the kid was just gonna Reset the timeline each time and due to the obvious fact that they already knew about time and space manipulation if they could Reset. On top of all of that, Sans had always wanted to trust Frisk. Not like she talked much anyway back then. He doubted she would've told, and, to his knowledge, she never did.

He stretched his bones and glanced around the area to make sure nothing was out of place. He spotted a note left on the table and walked over to pick it up. It had Kaitlyn's name and phone number as well as a note written beneath it.

I realized I forgot to exchange numbers with you both! You don't have to call, but if you're ever bored or want to talk about puns or have a cooking lesson, feel free to text me sometime :)

Sans was caught between throwing it away so he and Paps could both just forget about her and his curiosity about learning exactly what exactly was up with her Soul. He'd also be lying to himself if he didn't admit that he liked her at least a little.

He pulled out his phone and punched in her number as a new contact under the name 'Kid.' He sent her a quick text so she'd have his number and asked her how her apartment search was going. Her reply came quickly after he hit send.

*It actually hasn't started yet. I realized my hair was a mess when I walked by a window and decided to head back to my hotel room first. Why didn't you guys tell me I looked like a wreck?!

**well it's not like we have any reference to go off. Sorry we didn't have a brush for you to use hair.

*It's okay. I'll brush it off. Forgive and forget as they say.

**as long as you didn't dye of embarrassment, i'd say you're probably fine.

*Oh contrhaire, I'd say this has been the highlight of my day so far.

**hmm you're pretty good kid. don't know if i can think of any more. i may have to mullet over a bit.

*Nice shave my boney friend. Anyway, thanks for letting me comb over and stay at your place last night.

**no problem kid. you're welcome to comb over anytime.

Sans deleted the last part before hitting send. The pun was gold but he didn't want her to get the wrong idea.

**by the way, i should've made sure before you left but, you have enough money to take a cab or the subway, right?

*Um, not really. But I don't live far!

Sans rolled his eyes, thinking this girl must have some sort of death wish.

**you could've asked kid…

*I'll be fine! I'm taking a shortcut through an alleyway. What's up with this 'kid' stuff anyway? I'm not a baby goat!

Sans smirked.

**maybe you're right… in your case, you'd be an alley Kat.

*. . . Did you just…?

**yes, yes i did.

*Oh my God, Sans. I want to be mad but that was kind of brilliant.

He could picture her stifling laughter.

**i have my moments. anyway, i'll catch you later Kat.

Sans quickly edited her name in his phone from 'Kid' to 'Kat,' thinking the nickname was more appropriate for the stranger he practically picked up from the streets. He placed his phone back inside his pocket before throwing on his favorite hoodie and heading out to his job as Alphys' assistant.


	6. G-A-S-T-E-R

Kaitlyn eventually found a nice apartment close to where Sans and Papyrus lived. The months seemed to fly by now that she had the boney brothers to keep her company. She got to know more monsters and soon knew more of them than she did humans. Grillby even offered her a job as a waitress until she found a steady income, though he seemed to run the place fine on his own. She had accepted graciously but felt that he didn't really need her, though he constantly assured her that her presence was extremely helpful and appreciated.

Midway through her second month of working there, Sans had asked her what kind of job she was looking for. He looked ready to spit his ketchup everywhere when she said she had wanted to work in a physics research center. At the time, she had no idea what was going on. She soon found out that Sans worked as a scientist when a week later he told her he had a job for her as an assistant scientist in the research and development of Magic and Souls. She felt bad for leaving Grillby's but stayed on staff to work weekends and anytime Alphys, her new boss, said that she didn't need to come in for the day.

As she opened the door to her apartment, Kaitlyn took a moment to thank her lucky stars that she had found such nice friends, otherwise she'd probably be out on the streets or back home… though she honestly would have preferred the streets. She shook thoughts of 'home' from her head. This was her home now.

She breathed in the floral scent of her place and smiled at the small things that made it feel more like her real home: the scattered books on her kitchen table, the keyboard in the corner of the living room along with several sheets of music, pictures of her and Aunt Luce hung around the room. There was even a small, wrinkled picture of her parents set beside some mail she had yet to go through.

Kaitlyn had never really known her parents. Her mom had died giving birth to her and her dad was so distraught over her mom's death that he had had a heart attack. The hospital said he literally died of a broken heart. Aunt Luce was the only family she had after that. She was her dad's older sister and told her stories of how he and her mom had met and how they fell in love and even some embarrassing stories about them. Anytime kids at school gave Kaitlyn grief about not having a dad at the Father's day dance or not having a 'real mom,' Luce was always there to cheer her up and give the other kid an earful. She was a wonderful aunt and the best, strongest woman Kaitlyn had ever known.

She missed Luce more than she knew she could, and her heart hurt to think about how she'd left her behind. Tears stung her eyes and she decided to call Luce since she hadn't yet that week. Kaitlyn cleared her throat and dialed her aunt's number. It rang a few times before going to voicemail. Of course. Luce never answered. Kaitlyn breathed a sigh as her recorded voice gave her instructions: "Leave your name and number and I'll get back to ya as soon as I can. And if this is Kaitlyn, I'll get back to ya even sooner sweetie. I love you." Kaitlyn smiled and left her a message, updating Luce about her friends and her new job. She ended the message the same way she always did, saying, "I love you too, Luce. I miss you more than you know and I'm sorry for leaving home. I'll go you visit soon." And with that, she hung up.

Kaitlyn wiped away tears forming in her eyes. She always had a sense of dread when she said she would visit soon. On one hand, she really wanted to go back and check up on things, but on the other, thinking about what she knew she would find was daunting. One reason she hated the idea of going back was running into Sam, her ex. They had been engaged but he broke it off. This, coupled with what he claims pushed him into breaking their engagement, was half of what pushed Kaitlyn to move away. The town she had lived in was very small and once her and Sam had split, it seemed to cause a chain reaction of her 'friends' drifting away from her. She was bound to run into someone she used to know or even him if she went back. Although she didn't like the thought of possibly seeing him again, she really wanted to visit her aunt as well as her parents to pay her respects. She used to see them once a month with Luce to talk with them. Aunt Luce swore that even though they were dead they could still hear them and were always watching over them.

Putting it off won't make it any easier, Kaitlyn thought to herself as she plopped down on her couch and began texting Alphys asking for a few days off. Before the quirky monster could reply, Kaitlyn was already slipping away into a deep sleep.

She dreamed of the dark place, the Void. Honestly, after months of dreaming the same thing, she wasn't even surprised or scared anymore. Ever since she had stayed at Sans and Papyrus' place, she had dreamed of this dark abyss. She stared into the Void and the Void seemed to stared back. She always secretly hoped the strange child with red eyes wouldn't come this time, but they hadn't in awhile so Kaitlyn wasn't too worried. Soon, an inky shadow emerged, only distinguishable if the girl squinted her eyes and looked for the slightly darker outline of his silhouette until his face appeared. She smiled, knowing the child wouldn't come if he was here. Although she had been terrified of the being at first, she soon recognized him from her first dream, the one with so much pain and sorrow. He seemed to want to protect her; each time the child would try to come back, he'd be there to take Kaitlyn away.

She didn't know who the strange creature was and he couldn't, or wouldn't, talk to tell her. She enjoyed talking to him though and truly sympathized with him. It had to be awful to be trapped in this dark place with no one but that terrifying child to keep him company. He used to always look so sad, one eye drooping down and cracks forming from the top of his skull and from his normal eye down his cheek, but he usually looked happy or at least content when Kaitlyn came to see him now.

"Hello again."

The white mask-like face formed a smile and waved a floating hand. He never spoke, but he always seemed to understand what she was saying. He'd sometimes make odd signs with his hands as if trying to communicate with her, but when Kaitlyn tried looking into sign language, she couldn't recognize any of his movements.

"I've been working with Alphys trying to find out more about time-space. She's been helping me alot with gathering information but she won't perform any tests yet. She's not suspicious I don't think. She just said something about testing it seems wrong. I'm pretty sure Sans is suspicious though. Neither of them think it's a good idea, but I'm not sure how else to help you."

The figure turned his face away. He always seemed nervous when she brought up Sans or Papyrus, but he also would pay more attention to her when she spoke of them, as though he was more interested or worried about them. It was hard to figure out anything about him, but she had found out that the place he was stuck in was a tear between space and time. That's what the Void was. She figured that he had known Alphys and the skelebros based on his unsurprised reactions when she talked about them, but when she asked Alphys about knowing a tall, shadowy monster with a white face she had just stared at the human in confusion before saying that she had never met anyone like that before, unless she meant Sans when he wore a black cape. She also wanted to ask Sans or Paps but a nagging feeling of unease stopped her. Perhaps because the monster before her always acted nervous when it came to either of the skeletons. She'd even asked Alphys not to mention it to either of them.

She wanted so much to ask the creature himself but didn't know how he would answer and if he'd even tell the truth if he could. She could feel his sorrow when they met and tried her best to cheer him up. If she concentrated, she could even feel his pain deep within him and, although it certainly wasn't pleasant for her, she found that she could somewhat absorb his pain and sadness for at least a little while. Perhaps it was because monsters possessed magic but the more time Kaitlyn spent around them, especially the mysterious monster in her dreams, the more attuned to their emotions and thoughts she became.

She reached a hand out towards one of his floating ones and focused on his thoughts. Her throat caught and a knot formed in her stomach as she began to alleviate his negative feelings but she pushed beyond that and gently reached for his mind. She had never done this before so she was pretty surprised when she actually broke through. His thoughts whirled around her head like a tornado. Most of it was in some sort of language that she didn't understand and had never heard before but she caught glimpses of words in English.

Gaster. Core. Machine. Research. Souls. Lost. Regret.

The last thought echoed throughout Kaitlyn's entire body and wracked her heart with pain and sorrow she knew wasn't hers. He suddenly jerked his hand away from hers and stepped away, looking slightly dazed himself. She fell to the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Gaster…" she breathed and looked over to the monster. His face shot up and eyes widened.

That's my name but… How?

Kaitlyn grabbed her head and her heart skipped a beat at the voice she'd just heard. The voice was deep and had an unspoken elegance and wisdom behind it. It was somehow both warm and comforting while also feeling cool, demanding respect. She looked up to face him… Gaster… and shook her head, hardly believing what had happened.

"I-I can h-hear you," her voice shook wildly.

What? That's impossible.

"Gaster… Is that your name? I-I can hear you in my mind. I can't believe it either but I can."

If his face could turn any whiter, Kaitlyn swore it would have. He reached for her to help her up from the quivering mess she had turned into, but before he could touch her, the Void began to fade.

No, wait!

Kaitlyn reached for him as well, not wanting to leave after finally being able to hear his thoughts. She wanted to know more. She needed to. But even though she reached, she knew it wouldn't matter. Her hand phased through his body and she disappeared from the Void, leaving a stunned Gaster behind to wait until they met again.


	7. Soul Searching

Kaitlyn jolted awake from her dream. She tried to fall back to sleep, desperate to see Gaster again and learn more about the ghost of a man, but she couldn't slip into the Void no matter how hard she tried. Just when she was starting to actually learn something about the mysterious monster from her dreams she had been ripped from her dream! She finally gave up when her phone's alarm began to go off. She slammed her hand across the screen to silence it before sighing and getting up from the couch. She moved her head from side to side, trying to get the crick out of her neck from sleeping at such an odd angle. She didn't mean to fall asleep for the night on the couch, but that's what she gets for being too lazy to properly get ready for bed and sleep in her room.

She checked her texts and realized she never hit send on the message asking for time off from Alphys. Kaitlyn groaned and decided to just ask her boss in person when she went in for work.

She quickly got ready, smoothing her messy blonde hair, and grabbed her keys, phone, and a cup of coffee before heading out the door for Alphys' lab.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sans yawned as he strolled through the front door to work. He hated morning shifts but he had requested to work anytime Kat was working. He was suspicious of her sudden curiosity in time travel and the spaces between timelines. Just as he began to settle into his own research and paperwork, Kaitlyn burst through the front door, apologizing for being late.

"don't worry about it Kat. boss-lady isn't here yet." Sans winked and smiled at her slightly tousled hair.

"Thank goodness," she said, running her hands over her clothes and through her hair. "So, what are you working on today?" She smiled at the skeleton and walked towards him.

He shrugged, "ya know. same old, same old. still doing research on human Souls and such."

"Do you need any help? I haven't done much research on it but I'd like to know a bit more." Her blue-gray eyes search his pinpricks hopefully.

He gave a tiny nod and said, "sure, why not?"

Sans had actually been wanting to investigate her Soul outside of her body but never had a reason to pull it out. Something was definitly different about this girl, and he had a feeling seeing her Soul might help answer some questions he had. He explained the basics of Souls to her; culmination of your being, blah blah blah, basics on LV and EXP as well as HP. She looked absolutely fascinated at it all and was enthralled by the way monsters could pull out Souls.

"Can… can I see my soul?"

 _score._ This is what Sans had been hoping she'd say. He nodded and told her to stay still for a moment and that it might feel a bit weird at first. She nodded and closed her eyes to prepare herself.

Sans concentrated his magic on her for a moment before pulling her Soul from her chest. His breath hitched slightly upon seeing it.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he noted that her LV was at 0. At least now he knew she was entirely harmless. After making sure of that, he inspected it a bit more.

Her Soul was a brilliant deep blue that looked quite familiar to Sans' and Papyrus' blue attack but had glowing tendrils of soft yellow and cyan wrapped loosely around it. He had never seen a Soul that incorporated more than one color. He blinked in amazement until she snapped him from his daze.

"Is it okay? Is it not normal?" She looked slightly worried at his gaze.

"everything's fine kiddo. its just… normally a Soul is only one color. they don't usually have any of… _that_ going on." Sans gestured to the strange threads of light surrounding her Soul. "ya see, the color of a human's Soul tells us a lot about them. everyone has a dominant trait that lies within them. the only colors recorded to date is green, which is kindness, orange, which is bravery, purple is perseverance, red is determination, yellow is justice, cyan is patience, and blue is integrity. i'm not too sure if the light show around your Soul is from within your Soul or if you just picked it up along the way from somewhere," Sans shook his head. "i've never seen anything like it before."

"I see… what color is your Soul, Sans?"

"well, that's an easy one. colored Souls are reserved for humans only. all monster Souls are white because our entire being is made of magic and love, not the LV kind. some monsters can express their characteristics through their attacks though. for instance, Paps has a special blue attack because a key trait for him is integrity and the spider monster you met at that bakery a few weeks ago, Muffet, has a purple attack because one of her traits is perseverance."

Sans squinted at Kaitlyn's Soul. What unnerved him most was that cyan and yellow were _his_ colors. They were the color his eyes glowed when he was serious about using his magic. He reached out to touch them, but just as he did, they dissipated into thin air. He hummed and took some notes on what was happening before turning back to the Soul before him.

"i'd like to get a closer look, if that's okay?"

"Sure, go ahead," Kaitlyn urged.

Sans moved closer and reached out to gently hold her Soul, careful not to hurt it. She gasped and shivered when his bony hand made contact, and he shot a glance up at her before continuing.

"I'm fine, I just… wasn't expecting to actually feel that…" Kaitlyn turned her face away as it flushed a bit at the strange feeling. It felt as though something had taken hold of her entire being but it went even deeper than that. It was definitely odd but not entirely unpleasant.

Sans continued his inspection of the Soul, turning it around a few times and taking notes. It looked normal enough now. The only thing weird about it was how much it glowed, even with the tendrils of light gone. It was a deep and entrancing blue, both warm and brilliant. It also felt more powerful than a normal human Soul but not in a sense of having a high LV, rather it felt like it possessed magic of some sort. It felt warm in his hands and even though he was the one holding Kaitlyn's Soul, it somehow felt as though her Soul was attempting to touch his own. He finished inspecting it and nearly pushed the Soul back into the girl before him but something strange caught his eye before he did. A small, black line was moving around within her Soul, like a snake. It slipped down the sides and coiled itself around the bottom before moving back up to the top.

"What is that?" Kaitlyn asked, also seeing the snake-like black slash.

"well usually black denotes negative feelings, like sadness, anger, pain, jealousy, or hate," Sans' eyes flashed to her face when he said this but just as quickly moved back to her Soul. "Kat, look…. is… is there anything you need to talk about?"

Kaitlyn's eyes swept over the room, looking anywhere but at Sans. She _wanted_ to tell him so much, everything that had happened to her, but she wasn't sure how he would take it or if he would even believe her about some of it. She knew the black thing in her Soul could have been because of her painful past but it also could have been what she had absorbed from Gaster last night. She wasn't sure telling Sans about Gaster was a good idea, considering the nervous way Gaster acted when she brought Sans up, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to reveal her past to him yet.

Luckily, Alphys chose this exact moment to run through the door, sputtering out loud apologies as she did and breaking the tense atmosphere around Sans and Kaitlyn. The skeleton quickly but gently guided her Soul back into her body. The blonde gratefully took the opportunity to turn away from him to avoid the question but she somehow knew he was nowhere near close to just letting the matter go as she felt his eyes burn into her back.

"OHMYGODIMSOSORRYITOTALLYSLEPTTHROUGHMYALARMANDSTAYEDUPTOOLATEBECAUSEANEWMEWMEWKISSYCUTIESEASONCAMEOUTANDIMAYORMAYNOTHAVEBINGE

WATCHEDAND-AND-and…." The short dinosaur looking monster trailed off with a blush as she just realized that she had walked in at a tense moment between her coworkers. "U-um… did I interrupt something?" Alphys looked around nervously, her hands fidgeting at her sides.

"nah it's okay boss. we were just doing a little _Soul searching,_ " Sans cracked a wide grin and Kaitlyn stifled a laugh. Alphys chuckled nervously, still looking uncomfortable, so Kaitlyn broke the silence by grabbing her notes from her desk and walking over to the adorable yellow monster.

"Alphys, do you still want to help with my research or would you rather we work on your magical development portfolio?" She asked, placing a hand gently on the small monster's shoulder.

"O-oh yes! Do you mind if we look into some new magic data I found first then we can continue your research? I-if that's okay that is…"

Kaitlyn smiled, "Of course that's okay Alphys. Are you coming Sans or are you going to work on the Soul stuff some more?"

Sans looked over at the girl and replied, "i think i'll stay and work on this some more. after all, i've still got a skele- _ton_ of work to do."

Kaitlyn smiled and came back with, "Well, if you get _bonely_ you know where to find us!"

Alphys groaned. "Ugh, it's too early for this you guys."

The two laughed and Sans said, "sorry if it's a _pun_ ishment for ya. i saw you laugh at the first _pun,_ but i guess that's what you'd call a _pun-hit_ wonder." His grinned widened into what some would describe as his 'shit-eating grin' but it only made Kaitlyn laugh all the more. Once Alphys was thoroughly all punned out, they swiftly left Sans to get some work done.

A few hours of their delve into the new magical archive, Kaitlyn suddenly remembered that she needed to ask Alphys for a few days off to go back to her hometown.

"Hey, um, Alphys?"

Alphys hummed in response.

"Is there anyway I can get the next few days off?"

The monster turned to her in shock. "Why? What's wrong? Are you okay? You never ask for time off..."

Kaitlyn smiled at the concern in her boss's voice. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just need to go home for a few days… Like back to my hometown."

"Oh! I see! Of course you can have a few days off. Are you going to visit family? I don't think you've ever mentioned any of your family before actually. What are they like?"

Kaitlyn shut her eyes to clear away tears that were beginning to form. Of course no one knew about her familial situation. She never talked about it. She had mentioned her Aunt Luce to Sans and Papyrus but that had really been it. There was something of an unspoken agreement between her and the skelebros that she wouldn't ask about their past and they wouldn't ask about hers. She cleared her throat before answering Alphys, opening her eyes as she answered.

"Yeah, I'm going to visit my fam. I haven't seen them since I left. I don't really know my parents well. I lived with my aunt before I came here but she always talks about how great they were. Aunt Luce is wonderful. She's the nicest person anyone could know," Kaitlyn smiled. Alphys closed the book she had been leafing through.

"Well, I was actually thinking of taking a few days off soon anyway so you and Sans wouldn't have to come in… Undyne and I were thinking about taking a vacation soon. Do you- I mean would it…. Um… Maybe we could, uh, accompany you? I-if you don't m-mind that is…"

Kaitlyn pondered this for a moment. It'd be nice to have some moral support but she knew the popular opinion of monsters back home was…. Not favorable.

"I-it's okay if you don't want us there… It is sudden so-"

"No, that's not it at all!" Kaitlyn interrupted abruptly. "Having you there would actually help more than you can imagine, but my hometown isn't, well, they aren't very accepting of, um, certain things. They're kind of close-minded unfortunately."

"O-oh, I see… Well, I would still like to go if you want me there! You're my friend and I want to help you if I can. And U-Undyne will be with me so there's nothing to worry about!"

The girl smiled at the word 'friend.' Of course she had considered Alphys and the skeletons her friends but it had never really been said before… Unless she counted the time she and Papyrus made 'friendship spaghetti.' It was nice to have friends again. It had been awhile since she'd been this happy and it was because of all the new people, or rather monsters, she had met recently. She reached toward the adorable monster and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a hug.

"Thank you," Kaitlyn whispered shakily.

"well if we're gettin' time off anyway, i guess i'll see if Paps wants to go too." The two turned to see Sans leaning lackadaisically against the wall a few paces away. "sorry, i didn't mean to eavesdrop, but i was passing by and heard what you said. just wanted you to know we can come too if you, uh, want us there." Kaitlyn's smile widened as she said, "That would be absolutely _pun-derful."_

 _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._

The next few days flew by for Kaitlyn. She made sure Grillby knew she'd be gone for a few days as well. She was busy with her final days of work there and with Alphys before she and her friends left for 'vacation.' She had to admit, knowing that her friends would be there really cheered her up and made her look forward to the trip more. However, knowing they'd be there also worried Kaitlyn a little.

 _What if they get yelled at by the people there? What if they get hurt emotionally? Worse yet, what if someone tried to really hurt them? Physically…_ These thoughts buzzed in the back of her mind whenever she thought of the trip. They probably thought she had gone insane; one moment she'd be unable to contain her excitement and the next she'd be so worried she felt like throwing up. She almost told them to forget the whole thing, multiple times, but then Papyrus would babble about how excited he was to see her hometown or Sans would crack a joke and make her smile or Alphys would say she was glad she could be there for Kaitlyn... Her friends knew how to make her forget her worries and stress.

Though she was also concerned about Gaster, and no one could take that worry from her. She hadn't seen him in her dreams since the night she learned his name. She didn't know whether he was avoiding her or just couldn't reach her, but she hoped he would make himself known soon. She even thought about cancelling her trip until he made contact and she knew he was okay but figured staying here worrying wouldn't help.

Either way, it was too late now. Today was the day. They had packed the van, which Kaitlyn had rented so they could all ride together, and were just about to leave. Undyne came up behind Kaitlyn and startled her by ruffling her hair a bit and telling her how awesome the trip would be. She smiled at the blue, scaly monster with flaming red hair and a fiery personality to match. She had only met Undyne a few times before when she went to watch anime with Alphys, but she absolutely admired the woman's spunk and outspokenness.

"Alright, if everyone's ready, I think it's just about time to go!" Kaitlyn called out to the others. Sans jumped into the front passenger seat while Alphys and Undyne shuffled into the very back row, leaving Papyrus the entire mid-section to himself. The short blond twisted her hair up into a messy bun, as per usual when she went on long drives, and hauled herself up into the driver's seat. She threw Sans a questioning glance and asked in a low voice why he'd sit in the front passenger chair rather than sit with his brother.

Sans shrugged. "what? did ya think i'd _pass_ up an opportunity to sit up front? i also figured you could use a navigator."

Kaitlyn almost responded that she was quite sure she could find her way back to her hometown but bit her tongue before she said anything. She didn't really _mind_ him sitting there…

About an hour into the drive, Papyrus began commenting on how beautiful all of the scenery was around them. They were officially out of the city and on the countryside which meant grassy hills and lush trees on all sides.

"Wowie Sans! Look at how many trees there are! It's almost like the woods outside of Snowdin by the ruins but more… leafy." Papyrus had lowered his voice to a normal talking level after several complaints from Undyne, of all people, er, monsters.

"yeah bro. it's pretty stunning," Sans stared out the window at the passing scenery.

"So Kate, when are we going to get to your old home?" Papyrus turned to look at the driving human.

Kaitlyn smiled at the nickname. It was better than 'human' for sure. "Not for a while Papy, sorry. I brought you a few new things to do during the drive though! They're in the bag on the floor back there. I think you'll like it!"

Papyrus searched around before finding the aforementioned bag and pulling out a small, multicolored cube.

"What is this contraption?"

Kaitlyn chuckled. "It's called a Rubik's cube. It's basically a puzzle you have to solve. The rows and columns shift around and you have to match all of the sides' colors to solve it. You can also make cool patterns with the colors of you want a more difficult challenge."

Papyrus' eyes lit with excitement as he began to twist the cube in different directions. Kaitlyn beamed at the adorable skeleton and his enthusiasm. She was about to mention that she also brought a portable DVD player and some anime for Alphys and Undyne but realized the couple were sound asleep in the back. Undyne's head rested on Alphys' shoulder and Alphys' hands folded with Undyne's.

 _They are way too cute,_ Kaitlyn thought. She peeked over to Sans who was watching Papyrus and the cube intently.

"I figured you would like it too," she laughed as he tore his eye sockets from the puzzle. "I wanted to get you one too but that was the only one I could find… But I did find you a little something," the blonde gestured toward another bag beside her.

Sans reached into the bag and inspected the object he pulled out. It looked like a weird set of goggles or something to Sans. "uh, not sure i know what this is, Kat."

Kaitlyn laughed softly, instructing him on what buttons to press and how to put it on. Sans gasped as he place the device over his eye sockets.

"It's called a viewfinder. They used to be kids toys but there are new versions like this that have updated technology. I downloaded a few different apps but I thought you might like the space one best."

Sans looked from side to side wildly, taking in what he saw. There were stars, _billions_ of them, everywhere, and large balls he had learned were called planets. The stars had lines that connected some of them and, if he focused the center point directly on the name beside each line, a box of information would come up.

"so stars form these things called constellations?"

"Yep, the lines aren't actually there but I can show you some of them when nightfall comes since you'll be able to see the stars better out where there aren't as many lights from the city," Kaitlyn replied.

"i can even see stuff about the moon and other planets…" Sans said in awe.

"You can also click the button on the side when you're focused on a star to zoom in and learn more about each one. Or you can push the dial on the side to zoom out and view entire galaxies or even black hole simulations! I think there's a video that tells you about supernovas and the birth and death of stars too. Dark clouds and nebulae are also pretty neat to learn about," she explained excitedly. Science had always been a passion for Kaitlyn but astronomy and astrology held a special place in her heart.

"i can see Earth too. It's…" He inhaled sharply and slowly exhaled. "so beautiful…"

Her heart warmed at Sans fascination with space and wonder at the new things he saw and learned. His genuine amazement was a rare sight and Kaitlyn was glad she got to witness it. She focused her eyes back on the road and they continued the drive with the occasional excited exclamation from Papyrus or question from Sans.


	8. Second Chances

The next couple of hours went by quickly now that everyone was preoccupied. Kaitlyn sighed in relief when she spotted Sohpie's, an old friend of aunt Luce, bed and breakfast she had made arrangements at. Because the town was so small, Sophie's bed and breakfast was basically just her house. She had inherited the large abode when her grandfather died and decided to redecorate and open up the house as a business to strangers who happened to wander into the small town.

Kaitlyn had spent her fair share of nights in the house and loved Sophie like family. Aunt Luce loved Sophie as well and used to joke that the two were practically sisters. She remembered how Luce, Sophie and her used to spend hours in the garden, laughing and talking for hours while tending to whatever new flowers Sophie deemed worthy to grace her pretty spectacular collection of colorful plants. She shook away the thoughts, concentrating on the road before her yet again.

Her body ached from sitting for so long and her mind was exhausted from the long drive. Papyrus had fallen asleep after solving the Rubik's cube twice and Undyne and Alphys were watching the anime DVDs in the back, each with their own set of headphones, both making occasional exclamations at the screen. Sans had looked at the viewfinder for a long time but eventually put it away, saying the battery was running low. He was now playing with Papyrus' Rubik's cube and occasionally talking to Kaitlyn.

"That house to the right up there is where we'll be staying," Kaitlyn said, letting him know that the drive was nearly over. Sans turned to look out the window, the cube in his hands set in a colorful pattern of X's and O's.

"will they be ok with, ya know, _us_ staying?"

"Yeah, I know the owner. She's a sweet lady and a family friend. I called her before we left and made sure you guys could stay. She was actually so excited to meet you all that she offered me a discounted price!" Kaitlyn laughed at Sans' surprised expression. "It's not _on the house_ but it's still a pretty good deal."

Sans laughed quietly. "ya really know how to tickle my _funny bone_ , don't cha Kat?"

Kaitlyn shrugged. "I like to think I'm pretty _humerus."_

A collective groan came from behind the pair of comedians as the two chuckled at their own puns.

"SANS! STOP CORRUPTING THE HUMAN WITH YOUR TERRIBLE JOKES!" Papyrus was now fully awake and back to his nearly-but-not-quite-a-yell voice.

The entire group was laughing as they pulled up to the large house. Kaitlyn stretched in her seat as she turned off the car's engine and Alphys and Undyne began clamoring to get out from the cramped back seat. She sighed as she twisted around and began to pop her back and fingers, which was somewhat a bad habit for her, especially after long drives or naps.

"Come on Papyrus! We've been sitting back here cramped for _hours,"_ Undyne complained when the large skeleton didn't move. Kaitlyn looked around and saw a frozen Papyrus and Sans. They both looked like they were… blushing? Paps' face was tinted a slight orange while the smaller skeleton's face was dusted with light blue. Kaitlyn raised an eyebrow at the skelbro's odd behavior but decided to get out of the van to alleviate her sore muscles and open the doors for her friends rather than question it. When she reached Sans' door, he had already shaken himself out of whatever trance he had been in seconds ago.

"What was that all about?" Kaitlyn questioned him as he climbed down from his seat.

Sans shrugged. "nothing worth mentioning. call it a cultural difference."

The blonde shook her head in confusion. She was still curious but maybe she'd ask Papyrus about it later.

"Oh Katie!" An older woman called from the front of the house. She looked middle-aged with streaks of gray running through her brown hair that was pulled back into a messy bun. She wore a light green skirt that went just past her knees and billowed like a cloud when she walked. Paired with it was a white and green top that had yellow flowers running along the bottom and a daffodil pendant hung around her neck. "I've been waiting for you! It's so good to see you again!"

Kaitlyn smiled at the beaming woman. "Heya Sophie, how've you been lately?"

"Oh, same old, same old. Emily is still so bored all she does is gossip, Daisy is still a crazy ol' gal, and John is still causin' me trouble," Sophie's eyes crinkled around the edges as she laughed along with Kaitlyn.

"It's good to know Daisy and John are still okay. Have you checked in on Luce recently?"

Sophie's eyes softened and her smile faltered for a fraction of a second before she replied, "every weekend, sweetie."

"I'm glad you're still here to take care of her…" Kaitlyn looked somber for a moment before Sophie saw her friends unloading and gasped.

"Oh my, so these are your friends?" she ran up to the group, Undyne immediately taking a defensive stance. The old woman picked up Alphys and swung her around exclaiming, "Well aren't you just the cutest little thing!" Sophie stopped spinning and held her close in a warm hug. Alphys laughed. "Th-thank you, u-um…"

"Oh you can all just call me gramma Sophie! Or whatever floats your boat, really, I'm not picky."

The older woman placed Alphys on the ground as Kaitlyn began the introductions, pointing to each one as she said their name. "Sorry, I should've introduced you all sooner! That one is Alphys and next to her is her girlfriend, Undyne. This over here is Papyrus and Sans, my favorite skelebros in the whole world."

Papyrus' eyes shined and became wide with excitement while Sans chuckled and waved at Kaitlyn's introduction.

"Oh how sweet! Well, let's get you and your friends settled in and then we can chat over some tea and cookies!" Sophie spun around and twirled her bright green skirt as she began to walk toward the front door, grabbing two of her new guests' bags as she went.

"well she's awfully energetic for an older lady, huh?" Sans looked over at Kaitlyn who laughed quietly.

"She's really not that old, but she's certainly a sprightly one for someone in their mid 60s. She'll have you feeling _bone tired_ after a day with her, that's for sure."

Sans' nearly ever-present grin widened a bit as the group began to pick up more bags and follow the lively woman inside.

After everyone was settled into their own room, the monsters met in the living room area while Sophie and Kaitlyn prepared some tea and cookies in a nearby kitchen.

"So hun, when do you plan on moving back home?" The woman spoke softly so the others wouldn't hear. Kaitlyn sighed as she reached for the teacups and small plates in the cupboard.

"Never."

Sophie turned to face the young woman beside her. "Katie, don't be unreasonable. You can't keep running away. I also can't help but worry about you out there in the city. It's dangerous out there and you're all alone…"

"I'm not alone," Kaitlyn looked toward the living room where her friends sat and smiled. "I've never been less alone."

"I understand, but you know that's not exactly what I meant."

"Soph, you know there's nothing here for me now."

"I'm here. You're parents are here. And what about Luce-"

"Stop it." Kaitlyn could feel her throat choke on a familiar knot. She had had this argument before with more than just Sophie and it never got easier. "Sam is also still here. I can't…" she attempted to clear her throat, "I don't want to see him. Ever."

Sophie heaved a small sigh. "That boy isn't the only reason and you know it. Sweetie, I just want you to be happy. You need to face your past so you can move forward."

"I know but living here won't be facing it to resolve the problems I have, it would just be torture. You remember how I was back then, don't you? I _can't_ go back to that Soph. I refuse."

"Of course I remember, don't you remember who wiped your tears? Katie, I'm not saying you gotta move back forever but you need to face this. It's not gonna just go away on its own."

"I-I know," Kaitlyn sputtered, still fighting back tears. "That's partially why I came. I need to fix everything. I need to fix myself. You always said I shouldn't shoulder everything alone so that's why I brought my friends along." She smiled as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Oh Katie," the old woman wrapped the younger one in a warm hug. "Well, if you ever need anymore backup I'm here too." She kissed Kaitlyn's forehead. "And if that boy ever shows up to harass ya, you just let old gramma Sophie know and I'll wipe his ass into next week."

Kaitlyn's shoulders shook from tears and laughter for a moment before she said, "Thanks Soph. You always seem to know what to say."

"Call it a gift, darlin'."Sophie released her from the hug and turned to the oven just as it began to beep. Kaitlyn wiped her wet cheeks and turned to pour the tea into the small cups before her.

The smell of lemon-honey tea and fresh cinnamon and chocolate baked goods wafted in from the kitchen to the crowd of awaiting monsters a room over. In walked Sophie and Kaitlyn with two trays filled with cookies, tea, and small sandwiches.

"Here ya go! These here are cinnamon sugar cookies and those there are chocolate chip. I also found some sandwiches I had left over from earlier in the fridge but no tellin' John I let you all have em!" Sophie winked at the group.

"Excuse me ma'am, but who is this 'John'?" Papyrus questioned in a softer tone than usual. Kaitlyn briefly wondered what was up with that but figured it may be because Sophie looked somewhat old and fragile. He'd be surprised when he found out that she had as much energy as him and then some.

"John is my husband," Sophie smiled, her eyes softened at the thought of her long time 'partner in crime,' as they liked to say. "He's out workin' right now but he should be back soon."

"Is anyone else staying in the house right now?" Kaitlyn asked, trying to mask her slight concern, though she hadn't seen anyone thus far. She didn't want anyone who may want to hurt her friends be sleeping a room over.

"Nope, just us... unless you count Daisy. I didn't want there to be any problems so I informed anyone trying to make reservations about you all and of our right to exercise our acceptance policies and their obligation to respect the rules here."

Kaitlyn smiled, she should have known Soph would take care of it.

The group ate, talked, and laughed for the next hour and a half, exchanging funny stories and getting to know each other better. Alphys had decided she liked Sophie after the first five minutes of meeting her and Undyne by default also liked her, but the fish woman also appreciated the old lady's plucky spirit. Sans, who was usually suspicious of any human for a while before becoming comfortable with them, actually felt relaxed around the old woman and had even taken to calling her 'g-ma,' which never failed to make Sophie smile or laugh. Papyrus was absolutely enthralled by her hard-working spirit and exuberant personality. She reminded all of them, excluding Kaitlyn, of Toriel, though a bit louder… almost like a Toriel sprinkled with just enough of Papyrus' energy and Undyne's sass.

It was safe to say that Sophie basically adopted all of them into her family within the hour. She was in love with Papyrus' spunk and ability to keep up with her antics, as well as his funny stories and obvious love (and occasional exasperation) towards Sans. She also thought Undyne and Alphys' relationship was just about the sweetest thing she'd ever seen and adored their dynamic (as well as Undyne's fiery hair and personality). Sophie also took to Sans quickly, commenting on how she respected someone who had so much love and admiration for their brother, and someone who could make Kaitlyn laugh basically at the drop of a penny.

"Ya know, not many people can get this girl to laugh. She can be so serious at times!" Sophie exclaimed.

"no way, g-ma. Kat is way too silly for that to be true." Sans grinned with raised brow bones in Kaitlyn's direction, who wasn't sure if she liked the direction this conversation was going.

"I'm telling the truth!" The older woman laughed. "Why, some of her old friends from here could hardly get her to crack a joke!" She paused and looked away for a moment. "Even Sam couldn't-" Nope. Kaitlyn _definitely_ didn't like where this was going.

"Okay! I think that's enough Soph," Kaitlyn abruptly stood up and began to gather the plates and cups, stacking them on the nearest tray a bit nervously.

Her friends looked with curious eyes at their startled friend.

"I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHO SAM IS! IS HE A FRIEND OF YOURS KATE?" Papyrus asked, back to his normal booming voice.

"No, he's not. He's not important Paps," Kaitlyn said, exasperated and slightly irritated that he was brought up at all.

"Sorry dear, I hadn't realized they didn't know…" Sophie got up and apologized.

"know what?" Sans questioned, now also curious.

Sophie looked from the monsters to Kaitlyn slowly before Kaitlyn sighed. "He's just some guy I used to date, okay? We were in a pretty serious relationship and now we're not." She plopped back onto the couch while Sophie stayed standing and continued to pick up their dishes.

"WOWIE! I NEVER KNEW YOU DATED BEFORE AS WELL KATE!"

Kaitlyn smiled at the innocent skeleton. "I forgot you told me about how you and Frisk, um, dated Paps. You should tell Soph the story." She was desperately trying to turn the conversation in _any_ other direction.

And with that, Papyrus launched into his story of how he 'dated' the now human ambassador for all monsters but that he couldn't reciprocate Frisks' feelings beyond anything platonic. Kaitlyn didn't mind hearing the story again, so long as the topic was off of her and Sam's complicated past. There was a lot of explaining there that she was _not_ ready to get into.

After Papyrus' long winded speech about friendship and dating, Sophie excused herself so she could wash the dishes and clean up a bit.

There was a knock at the front door as she began to wash which was flung wide open before she could ask who it was. Sophie looked over at the clock above the spice rack, thinking it was still too early to be John. She hurriedly wiped her hands across her apron and rushed to see who it could be.

"Sophie, darling, there you are!" An old but familiar voice echoed down the hall into Kaitlyn's ears.

"Oh god," she groaned.

"What's up Kaitlyn? Who is it?" Undyne questioned.

"Keep your voices down guys," Kaitlyn said in a hushed tone, "It'd be bad news if she found out about you guys or me being here." She prayed that Sophie could keep the witch at bay in the front hall.

Sophie greeted her briskly, asking why she was here.

"A little birdie told me you were expecting _monsters_ as your guests this weekend and I just couldn't believe my ears so I simply _had_ to come see for myself!" An annoyingly high-pitched voice trilled down the halls.

"Yes, Mrs. Emily. John and I welcome any who are in need of a place to stay."

"Ohh you _poor dear._ If you and old Johnny were hurtin' so bad for money you could've come to _me._ I'm _very_ generous and would've helped you outta any money issues in a heartbeat, bless your hearts..." Emily heaved a great sigh of feigned sorrow and wiped an invisible tear from her cheek.

Sophie huffed in annoyance. "We won't be needing any assistance and besides that, I would've welcomed them here whether they paid or not if they really needed a place to stay." She crossed her arms. Kaitlyn wore a similar look of irritation and annoyance on her face. How _dare_ this old hag insult her friends and Sophie like that! What's worse she was trying to act _noble._ Gross.

Emily squinted a bit at Sophie. "But dearie, these are _monsters_ we're talking about," the hag practically spat the word out like it was bile, "Are you positive you're feeling okay Sophie? We don't want what happened to poor Lucy happening to you, now."

Kaitlyn clenched her fists and hopped up in sudden fury, her friends leaned back at this sudden outburst as she stormed through the kitchen into the front hall. "How dare you!" Kaitlyn yelled as she stood just beyond the slightly uncomfortable group who had followed her and were now hidden in the kitchen. "You have no right to even mention my aunt's name nor do you have the right to insult Sophie, John, or my friends!"

Emily sputtered in surprise for a few seconds while Sophie looked over to Kaitlyn, also shocked at the usually mild-mannered girl's sudden rage. "Wh-why if it isn't little Kitty! So ni-"

"Don't you dare call me that name! I can't believe you would even have the gall to speak to me after what you just said! After everything you and your family have _done!_ We _both_ know that the way you threw out your friendship with Luce after you found out about her condition was despicable." Kaitlyn's blue-gray eyes were icy and stared directly into Emily's, making her shift uncomfortably.

"W-well I…" the old woman's face turned a shade of deep red as she stuttered about for something to say.

"Well _I_ think it's about time for you to leave, Emilia," Sophie gestured toward the front door. Emily nodded and began to turn around but not before she saw the faces of four monsters looking out from inside the next room. Her face paled and she scurried out quickly with Sophie slamming the door behind her.

"Well now that _that_ is taken care of," Sophie turned to apologize to her guests but was caught off guard when she noticed that Kaitlyn's face was red and tears where streaming from her eyes. "Oh sweetie…" She pulled Kaitlyn into a hug and held her while she cried.

"K-Kaitlyn? Are y-you okay?" The four monsters that had been in the kitchen now surrounded the pair, looking very concerned.

The crying girl wiped her eyes and looked over towards Alphys who had asked the question everyone was wondering. She smiled at her friend and pulled her into a group hug with her and Sophie. "I'm okay. I just needed a minute." The other three sighed in relief and they all joined the trio in their group hug.

"I don't care what anyone else says or thinks, I'm so glad you guys are here with me," Kaitlyn said softly as they smiled and agreed.

John came home a few hours after everyone had settled back down. With him was Daisy, who turned out to be a large brown and black German Shepard, much to the monsters' surprise. Kaitlyn was happy to see them both and while the monsters were wary of the dog at first, they soon found she was extremely friendly. Papyrus looked ready to taker her home with him within the hour.

Around six o'clock, Papyrus, Kaitlyn, and Sophie were in the kitchen making spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, as per a certain skeleton's request. Sans and John sat at the nearby table talking and watching the three cook while Alphys and Undyne watched a whimsical magical girl show about a duck who turned into a ballerina princess in order to save a prince (who, for some reason, didn't like to wear pants at random intervals).

John seemed to like everyone almost as much as Sophie did and the feeling was mutual based on the laughter that could be heard from the dinner table that night. Sans especially seemed quite interested in the older man and enjoyed the intellectual banter with him, mainly about science and physics. Even though John had never gotten a proper education, he took frequent trips to the library to learn as much as he could about physics, astronomy, history, theology, or anything else he could get his hands on. Sophie joked that he'd outsmart her someday if he kept up the pace to which he replied "Never in a million years could I outwit you, love."

Soon it was time for everyone to go to sleep for the night; Sophie supposedly had 'big plans' for everyone tomorrow. Each room had its own color scheme so people could remember their own rooms better. Sans and Paps got a baby blue and yellow double bedroom, Alphys and Undyne opted for a red and orange master bedroom, and Kaitlyn slept in the room she always used to stay in when she was younger, the lilac and white one near Sophie's room. She smiled at the room thinking that nothing about it had changed, which seemed odd since she felt like she had changed so much since she'd last been in there.

The friends all bid each other goodnight and one by one fell asleep. That is, except for Kaitlyn.

She was worried about the repercussions her little outburst with Emily would have and prayed that Sam wouldn't hear about it or, god forbid he did, that he wouldn't come looking for her. She was also still worried about Gaster. She wondered, for the millionth time, if there was a way to reach out to the void rather than being sucked in.

Just as she was beginning to fall asleep, a dark shadow appeared next to her bed and loomed over her. She sat up startled and ready to scream until she recognized the white face and tall silhouette.

"Gaster?" Kaitlyn whispered softly.

 _Yes, it's me. My apologies if I frightened you._

"It's okay, I'm glad you're okay," she smiled at the shadowy figure. He looked a little different outside of her dreams. He had more of a distinct form now, like he was wearing a black cape rather than just being a constantly shifting black mass. The cracks in his skull, while still there, didn't look quite as deep as they had once been. The floating hands were still there, but they now had arms that moved along with them.

"How are you here? Why were you _there_ in the first place?" She had so many questions for the mysterious monster and was eager for answers.

 _Well, it's a little complicated to explain…_

Kaitlyn sat up further and scooted over to make room for him to sit on the end of the bed. "I have time."

Gaster laughed, _All right then._ He sat down. _As you may or may not have figured out, I was a scientist in my former life. I trained Alphys a bit actually._ He smiled as though thinking of a fond memory. _However, I was quite… foolish during a majority of my time spent in the real world. I was childishly prideful and always thought of those around me as either an idiot or a tool I could use… or both. I found out about different timelines and how to tamper with them a bit by injecting small doses of 'Determination' into… experimental subjects…_ He winced. _I even used the power of my experiments to build a machine that could transport me across space and time but there was an accident. I ended up stuck in between timelines, in the place you call the 'void,' and no one remembered me. It wasn't like they had forgotten but more like my entire existence was simply… erased._

Kaitlyn frowned. "That seems like an awfully condensed version… I still have questions."

Gaster nodded. _Understandable. Ask anything._

"Well, how did you get out?"

He smiled. _You remembered me. You said my name and brought my existence back into being._

"How could I remember you if I never knew you though?" Kaitlyn shook her head, confused.

 _It's more complicated that that I'm afraid._ Gaster sighed. _You saying my name made the timeline itself remember my existence which brought me back. Well, most of me anyway._

"What do you mean?"

 _Though my form is here it isn't really corporeal. Only those who truly remember me besides yourself will be able to see me. I'm not really sure on how I can get my real body back but perhaps appearing before you in this world will help. I apologize for not being more helpful, however I'm not sure of how memories play into the timeline or if there are any other factors involved. My research never brought me beyond this point._

"Why didn't you come to me sooner? I've been worried sick for days…"

 _I was afraid. I knew you would have questions, and my past from this world still haunts me. The wrongs I've committed... I fear I won't be able to right them now._

"What did you do that was so wrong?"

Gaster looked away for a few moments. _I... I've caused many, humans and monsters alike, much pain through my selfish actions. I didn't understand those whom I wronged in the past because I was too blind to see that they weren't just objects available for my usage... I was a fool._

Kaitlyn wondered what he meant for a moment before moving on to her next question. "What about that _thing_? The one with the red eyes? It was also in the void but never when I saw you. Could you see it too?"

 _Ah yes, unfortunately I could. That thing is a child who used to live in the ruins but recently also got stuck in the void. They would come occasionally to restart a timeline outside of their own along with the child who is now ambassador of the monsters, though the one known as Frisk could not see me. One day, the child came without Frisk, and it has haunted me about my past ever since, never ceasing to torture me over my past mistakes. It was also one day forgotten and hasn't left the void since. I won't tell you anymore for fear that they also may be called back into existence. Just know that the reason you never saw them when I was with you is because I'd put up a shield of sorts. I didn't want it to know you could travel freely between the void and this world, else they might have tried possessing you next._

Kaitlyn nodded and decided not to probe about the child anymore because she didn't really want it brought to the real world. She shivered at the thought.

The two spent the next hour or so talking about themselves and their world while the other asked questions. They learned a bit more about each other now that they could properly talk. At about 1:00am, Gaster got up from the bed and insisted Kaitlyn get some rest.

"Where will you go?"

 _I will still be here but I can only remain visible to you for so long before I become weary._

"Are you going back to the void?" She looked worried for a moment.

 _No, my dear, I will fade from sight but not from this world. I will never be far though, even when you can't see me. I owe my existence to you Kaitlyn. I owe my second chance to you._

She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "I'm glad you're here, Gaster."

He smiled and pulled up the large blanket to tuck her in. _I am happy that I met you, child. I swear that I will protect you from any harm that I can._

Kaitlyn began to breathe deeply as Gaster gently placed his bony fingers on her forehead.

 _You are my path to reconciliation so I will be your path to happiness._


	9. Guess Who's Back?

Sans felt oddly wary when he woke up the next morning. He looked to his left where Paps was still sound asleep. It wasn't particularly odd to feel off upon waking up. He usually felt unsettled when he woke up but he'd never felt like that when he slept near Papyrus. His bro gave him security and comfort. Being close to him usually kept dreams of the past and any anxieties Sans had away. Something was definitely different this morning though; Sans could feel it in his bones. He smiled slightly at his inward joke and got out of bed quietly, deciding to roam around the house for anything suspicious just in case something really was wrong.

Daisy, who had fallen asleep next to Papyrus the night before, stood alert at the door. Her ears were pointed up, as though straining to listen for something beyond the door, and a low growl emitted from deep within her chest as Sans walked forward, though not directed at him.

"you feel it too, huh?" Sans bent and pat the dog's head.

"don't you worry, i'll go check it out. stay here and look after Paps, will ya?"

Daisy looked at Sans then toward his sleeping brother. He guessed she understood because as he closed the door behind him, he saw the large dog sitting at the foot of Papyrus' bed facing the door, as though she was standing guard. He smiled and let the door click shut.

He silently made his way down the long hallway toward the living area and kitchen, careful of his steps so as not to wake up any of his sleeping friends. The sun hadn't peeked over the hills outside yet so it was still pretty dark in the house, but Sans didn't really have an issue with seeing in the dark. He felt his left eye began to glow cyan as he inspected the main areas of the house before moving down the hall on the opposite side of the house from his and Paps' room.

He was beginning to think it had all been in his head, but just before he turned around, a glimpse of black crept into his peripheral vision. It came from underneath the door to another room and disappeared as Sans began to draw closer. Not convinced it was gone, the skeleton gently turned the doorknob and cracked open the door to look inside. He saw…

Nothing. Whatever it had been, it was gone now.

Maybe I'm just tired and it was my imagination? Sans thought, though he wasn't so sure. It would be one thing to just be a trick of his eyes, but something in the air felt… oddly familiar. It almost felt like he was back… Sans frowned. He didn't need anything or anyone from his past showing up, especially him. It was all his fault Sans was the way he was now. His eye burned slightly brighter at the thought.

As his eye glowed brighter, he realized that this wasn't an unoccupied room. He spotted Kaitlyn, nestled into her pillow and wrapped in thick blankets. Her blonde hair spread out behind her and her head set against a folded arm.

She looked serene. Sans smiled at her soft features. He was glad she could at least find peace in her dreams. He had been worried about the girl for a while. She hadn't been acting as cheerful as usual. Her laughter and smiles looked more strained than natural and she would sometimes look far off, like she was in some other reality, with sorrowful eyes. Thankfully, she seemed to be doing better since they had arrived at Sophie's house.

Sans attempted to secure the door back into its original closed position but was greeted with a loud groaning protest from it's hinges. He heard some shuffling come from Kaitlyn's bed along with a small sigh. He quickly closed his left eye to stop the glowing and turned yet again to face a now awake and slightly confused blonde.

"Sans? Is that you?" she yawned, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

"i guess time for you to buy yourself a watch," he chuckled, "sorry Kat, yeah it's me. i didn't mean to startle you, but i woke up with a weird feeling so decided to take a look around the house. make sure everyone was okay, ya know?" Sans went to pull his hood over his burning cheeks but realized he was only in his shorts and white tee. He stepped further into the dark room, hoping she couldn't see his embarrassment in the dark.

"Itsfine," she slurred a bit, obviously not fully awake yet. She squinted up at his face trying to make it out in the dark. Realization at his joke hit her and she threw a pillow in his direction, hitting him smack in the face as she said, "you dork! I don't need a watch, I have a clock!" She looked over at said clock. Nearly 7am. Well, I guess six hours is better than nothing, she thought and sighed.

Sans laughed and set the pillow back on the bed. "i really am sorry Kat. guess i'll have to watch myself next time."

Kaitlyn attempted to hide her smile behind feigned irritation and said, "You better! Otherwise you're going to have a bad time."

"i'd rather have a bed time and go back to sleep."

Kaitlyn burst into a fit of giggles before finally rolling herself out of bed.

"Well I think it's about time to get up," she said as she reached up and stretched. Her joints and muscles shifted in protest as she continued to stretch and pop her neck and back in order to shake off any sleepiness that lingered.

She looked over to Sans. Shit. I forgot they don't like… something about stretching I guess…? She still hadn't had the chance to ask him or Papyrus about their odd behavior at the car when they'd first arrived. She shifted awkwardly as he stood frozen.

"I'm sorry Sans, I forgot you don't-" she took a step forward and stopped, squinting at his face. If she hadn't noticed his blush from earlier, she most certainly noticed it now. His face was bright blue and his eyes had gone completely black.

"Uhh, Sans? Are you okay?"

He snapped back into reality and quickly shut his eyes and slapped his cheeks a couple of times. "y-yeah kid, just, uh…" he shook his head.

"What's up with you and Paps and the stretching thing?"

He laughed. "it's not the stretching, it's the, uh, sound. the, um, pops."

Kaitlyn raised an eyebrow. "What the heck is wrong with popping your bones back into place?"

"like i said yesterday, i guess it's a cultural difference."

"But only you and Paps are like that."

"well we are a different race than other monsters. i've never heard a monster pop their bones though either."

"Does it offend you guys?"

"nah, it's not that it's offensive but it's kinda… ya know we don't really have to-"

"Sans," Kaitlyn put her hands on her hips, not ready to let the subject drop yet.

The defeated skeleton sighed. "alright, i was trying to spare ya the nitty gritty details but basically, skeleton monsters only make popping noises when, uh, we're trying to attract a, um, mate or when we're with our partner a-and we're-"

"Okay, okay you made your point!" Kaitlyn's face was burning now, her hands that were once on her hips were now placed over her red face.

"i tried to warn ya Kat." Sans body shook with laughter at the flustered girl. "i'll let you get ready. gotta be there when Paps wakes up. i'd love to see his face when he realizes i was up before him for a change."

Kaitlyn waved him away and out the door the skeleton went, light blue still dusting his cheekbones.

By the time everyone else was awake, Kaitlyn had already made breakfast and was cleaning the kitchen. Papyrus came out first, saying that he wanted to get an early start on his morning jog but Sans stopped him. He told him he didn't want his bro getting lost since they didn't know the area, but the reality was that Sans didn't want Papyrus to get hurt by the humans here. The woman from yesterday clearly didn't like monsters and Sans got the feeling that not many in this town were as accepting as Sophie based on what Kaitlyn had said before they came.

Large cities and towns had cameras installed everywhere to protect monsters from hate crimes and violence but in small towns like the one Kaitlyn came from, they hadn't put many, if any, cameras around the area. Luckily, Kaitlyn caught on and told Papyrus that he could help her cook instead. Sophie and John were the next two up followed shortly by Undyne, then Alphys.

"So, what do you kiddos got planned for today?" Sophie said, clapping her hands together and smiling at the group after everyone had eaten.

"I thought you had something planned for us ol' lady!" Undyne paused from pulling her red hair back to look questioningly at Sophie.

"Did I, now? Ya know I think I remember saying something like that to get you youngsters to go to bed last night..." Sophie put her hands up in an exaggerated shrug before laughing at the blue monster's stunned face.

"Don't worry ya little spit-fire, I've got something planned alright." She walked over to the curtains in the living room and pulled back the drapes to reveal a pristine pool in the back yard.

"Soph, the water is still too cold to swim in, and I'm not sure if anyone even brought a swimsuit," Kaitlyn pointed out.

"We have a mall. We can just shop for some, my treat. And I'll turn on the pool heater. It'll take a couple of hours but it should be warm enough by the time the shopping is done. Besides, the sun is out and it's supposed to be decently warm today." Sophie winked and Kaitlyn sighed.

"OH PLEASE KATE! I'VE NEVER BEEN IN SUCH A LARGE BATHTUB BEFORE!" Papyrus' eyes sparkled as he pleaded.

Kaitlyn tried very hard to keep a straight face but eventually gave in to laughter. "Fine, fine, if this is what you all want to do today I guess it's alright." She just couldn't say no to an adorable face, especially Papyrus' puppy dog eyes.

"Alphys and I brought our swimsuits! We take 'em everywhere!" Undyne beamed in... victory?

"In that case I can grab a couple for the rest of us while you guys help around the house for a bit. Sophie always has loads of chores and I know John would appreciate a hard-worker to help him out with the yard and heavy-lifting too." Papyrus and Undyne's faces lit up, ready for any challenge the old couple could throw at them. Kaitlyn smiled, thinking her plan had worked and she could keep her friends away from any trouble.

"uh, no offense Kat, but how are you gonna know what sizes to get for Paps and me?" Sans quickly burst her bubble. She shrugged, trying to play it off.

"I'm a pretty good guesser…"

"nah i'm not buying it. i'll come with you to help since Paps looks like he'd rather stay here." Papyrus and Undyne were already racing out the back door to find John and see what they could do to help.

She nodded, thinking Sans could probably handle himself anyway if they got separated for some reason and that one monster is easier to keep up with than four. Sophie walked over and gave the blonde some cash before she could protest and told them both to stay together and be safe. She then turned to Alphys and rolled up her sleeves as she asked the shy monster, "ya ready to get some work done?"

"I-I'll try not t-to get in the way!" Alphys managed.

"We'll have none of that talk! Come on Alphys! Follow my lead and repeat after me, 'WE CAN DO IT'!"

"W-we can d-do it... I guess."

"Nope, try again. WE CAN DO IT!"

Papyrus burst through the backdoor and shouted the chant back at a surprised Alphys and Sophie.

"We better go before she starts making us chant too," Kaitlyn whispered to Sans who nodded in agreement. And with that, they were on their way.

The drive was, of course, mostly filled with puns and silly jokes passed back and forth between the two, and they were both in stitches by the time they arrived at the mall.

"so this is a mall, huh? i've heard about them but i've never really been in one before." Sans looked around at all of the shops and people around him. He had pulled his hood up so not as many people would stop and stare but it didn't help much. Half of the crowd would see him and do a double take before they started whispering among themselves while the other half would see Kaitlyn and start whispering, no doubt, if that was who they thought it was.

"I wish I had worn something else today," Kaitlyn said while keeping her head down and trying to look inconspicuous. Her blonde hair was slightly curled and partially pinned back with bobby pins. She had opted for a white sundress decorated with dust-colored roses and a thin brown belt with pink crochet flats to match. She usually didn't wear this kind of thing, or anything other than jeans and a tee shirt or tank top for that matter, but being home again made her happy and her clothes normally reflected her mood. She suddenly felt Sans place his large hoodie over her shoulders and looked over just as he flipped the hood over her head.

"S-sans?"

"don't worry about it Kat. now they won't be looking at you." He winked and grinned. "besides, you, ah, you look really pretty today so don't let others bring you down to that level of thinking." Sans turned his head a bit and blushed lightly and Kaitlyn did the same.

I never knew he thought I looked pretty, she thought to herself, smiling and still blushing.

"that place over there looks like they sell swimsuits," Sans pointed to a nearby store.

Kaitlyn jolted herself from her thoughts and grabbed his hand and ran excitedly to the store. She loved shopping but hadn't really had the chance to go for a long while since money was kind of tight for her at the moment.

It took them around forty five minutes to finish up at the store, mostly because Kaitlyn couldn't decide between two swimsuits. She ended up choosing a navy blue swimsuit with white polka dots and white trim at the top. Sans picked out a pair of dark blue swim trunks that had white stripes down the side for himself and red trunks with white bones on it for Papyrus. Kaitlyn had been surprised that the store carried such an odd swimsuit but agreed that it was absolutely perfect for the energetic Great Papyrus.

They walked out of the store laughing, both had all but forgotten the crowd around them and Sans' hoodie was now tied around his waist. Kaitlyn's stomach growled and she realized she hadn't eaten in awhile because she had gotten up so early.

"Do you mind if we stop off at the food court and grab something to eat?"

"wow, they've got food in here too? i'm always down for a bite so of course i don't mind."

Kaitlyn smiled and lead him in a new direction toward the smell of fast food, random Chinese takeout, and soft pretzels.

"woah, a lot of options to choose from, huh?" Sans looked around the large area with a bit of amazement.

"Yep. Do you have anything you want in particular?" Kaitlyn asked the wide-eyed skeleton.

"i wouldn't know where to start. you can choose for today."

Hmmm. Kaitlyn thought back to Grillby's and knew exactly what to get for them; she took him over to one of the burger places and picked out a table for them to sit at.

"what will it be Kat? i'll go grab the food while you hold down the fort here."

She told him her order and gave him a few recommendations for himself before grabbing her wallet and reaching for some cash. Sans placed a hand over hers before she could pull it out.

"cash you let me pay for once?"

She chuckled at his joke. "You really don't have to! I have money..."

"i want to. you could say it's mall i've ever wanted." He winked. Kaitlyn laughed as he untied his hoodie to wear it like he normally did, reaching into one of his pockets and grabbing some of his own money.

"I'll never understand how you get anything to stay in there without it falling out," the blonde shook her head and chuckled.

"Magic," Sans wiggled his brow bones before turning to get the food while Kaitlyn stayed back and laughed at his antics.

At first, she thought they might have a problem when the cashier pulled out a 'no monsters' sign, but Sans said or did something that caused the poor boy to go white and quickly place the skeleton's order. She giggled when the boy came back and looked ready to piss himself as Sans paid.

"Kitten...?"

Kaitlyn froze.

It couldn't be. She prayed to any god out there and possibly listening that it wasn't. Out of everyone who could possibly be at the mall now, why did it have to be him? Why did he have to come along and ruin her good mood? She turned slightly in her seat and faced the one person she absolutely didn't want to see.

"Sam…"


	10. Grave Encounters

"Wow, you look amazing Kitten," Sam's icy blue eyes widened as he looked her up and down.

"Don't call me Kitten. We aren't together anymore Samuel," Kaitlyn replied bluntly, turning away from him.

"C'mon Kitten, I-"

"Don't."

Sam blinked, astonished at her curt tone. "S-sorry."

"Whatever." Kaitlyn looked towards Sans, who was still at the counter waiting for their food. He wasn't facing her way, though she willed him to turn around and save her. She was hoping Sam would take the hint and leave. He didn't. Of course.

"Wait Kit- sorry Kaitlyn, I wanna talk." Sam walked to the other side of the table and pulled out the chair, moving to sit in front of her.

"There's nothing to talk about." Kaitlyn caught one of the chair's legs with her foot to keep him from sitting. Sam shuffled backwards, not expecting the resistance, but sighed and stepped forward again, refusing to give up.

"Yes, there is. Look, I'm sorry about your aunt, but that wasn't my fault."

"I know." She turned her glare from him down to her hands which were clenched tightly together. Come on Sans, hurry up so we can leave, she thought a little frantically.

"Then why are you still mad at me?"

A screech echoed around the room as she stood up, fury burning in her eyes.

"Why? Are you kidding? You were supposed to be there for me Sam! When everyone else thought I was crazy, you were supposed to stand by me and support me, the way a husband would! I know we weren't married yet, but- damn it!" Kaitlyn's fist slammed into the table as she turned away from him to hide her tears. "You sure as hell weren't supposed to just bail on me! When things got a little hard, you tucked tail and ran out on me… In my greatest time of need, you abandoned me. Everyone abandoned me..." Tears ran down her cheeks. She wiped them away, furious at her own weakness. "Even you and Ashleigh..."

"Kitten, I…"

"what's going on here?" Sans had heard the commotion but wasn't sure he should interrupt until he saw Kaitlyn crying and immediately ran over.

Sam squinted his eyes. "Just what are you supposed to be?"

"usually just the punchline to a bad joke, but in this case, a concerned friend," Sans said as he laid a skeletal hand on Kaitlyn, attempting to calm the sobbing girl. "who are you and why are you harassing Kat?" His usually laid back tone turned dark as did his eye sockets when he turned to glare at the man.

"I'm her fiancé." Sam's voice was triumphant though he felt nervous and small under the skeletons black stare.

Sans was slightly taken aback by this. Kaitlyn had never mentioned a fiancé… She had said something about an ex-boyfriend but nothing about being currently engaged.

he has to be lying... might as well take a shot in the dark, he thought before saying, "oh, you mean you're her ex. huh, guess that makes you the sorry punchline, bud."

Sam's eye twitched in frustration. Sans grinned triumphantly.

"Kaitlyn, please tell me you didn't replace me with this sick joke."

"what's it to you if she did? last I checked, you're old news." Sans had both of his hands on Kaitlyn's shoulders and almost possessively pulled her head towards his midsection to further hide her obvious pain at seeing Sam.

The now furious boy stood up, a full head taller than Sans, and looked down at the smug skeleton before him. "Listen up, you sorry monster," Sam spat the word like it was poison in his mouth, "this is between me and her, so I suggest you back off and-"

Kaitlyn spun around and slammed her hand down on the table, blocking Sam from Sans. The sound echoed across the room which had long since been silent to watch the scene unfold.

"You will not touch him." She grabbed Sans' hand and began to walk briskly toward the nearest exit. Sam reached for her free hand which she quickly yanked away from him. She turned to face him again and said in a low, threatening voice, "there is only one monster I see here and it sure as hell isn't Sans, so I suggest you back off and never show your face around me again. I'm sick of your bullshit lies. I don't want your empty apologies. I don't want your sympathy. I don't want you."

Sam stood there frozen long after the two had left him behind.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kaitlyn shook as she walked in front of Sans, her hand still gripped tightly to his. She didn't let go until they reached the car, and when they got there, she stepped into the back without a word.

"you okay, Kat?" Sans sat in the back beside her, unsure of what to do.

She nodded, the tears had stopped but she was still shaking and her eyes were wet and red.

"that was Sam?"

Another nod.

"you aren't… really engaged to that guy, are you?"

Kaitlyn sighed, rubbing her puffy eyes. "No, but I was. He broke it off after the first few months. We had dated for quite some time before then though."

"why?"

"It's a long story…"

"i'm all ears. well, figuratively."

Kaitlyn smiled weakly. She took a deep breath before looking up and thinking back on the memories she had long since locked away. "It all happened about a year or so ago…"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Sam asked me to marry him last year in the middle of August. He was such a gentleman and everything I had dreamed of: handsome, smart, funny, caring. He wanted the same things that I wanted and he was always so… perfect, I guess. He could be a little harsh at times, but I think I loved him too much to really see it or care.

The problems started when you guys, the monsters, began moving Aboveground. I'm sure you've noticed by now that most of the people here aren't entirely accepting of… anything new… or unknown," Kaitlyn chose her words carefully.

"Aunt Luce was ecstatic. She said stories of monsters and magic had been passed down in the family for ages. Naturally, I was curious as well since she used to tell me about all of the stories when I was little." She smiled at the memories.

"i've, uh, been meaning to ask about your aunt. you said the whole reason you came was to visit her, but i don't really understand why we haven't seen or heard from her since we've been here."

"Well, when everyone started going crazy about monsters and everything, she got a sudden onset of Alzheimer's and dementia."

Sans gave a confused look.

"Alzheimer's and dementia are illnesses that affect the brain," Kaitlyn explained, "as they progress, the person's memory gets worse and they get really confused about things that used to make sense… Luce…. S-she didn't recognize me. It even seemed like her illness would get worse when I was around. I stopped going to see her as much; moved out and began living with Sam but I still called her a lot and would go visit her. She really appeared to be getting better for a while but one night she-" Kaitlyn choked. Sans laid a hand on her shoulder until she calmed down enough to take a deep breath.

"She just wanted some tea. It was the first I had seen her in about a month but I didn't want to stay long. I was convinced me being there somehow triggered her illness to make it worse. I started the tea and told her not to forget to turn off the stove. I-I should have called to make sure or stayed until after she went to sleep or-or… I…" she was gasping between words.

"it's okay, Kat. breathe... what happened?"

"S-she forgot… the paramedics said s-she probably d-died of smoke inhalation but her b-body was mostly g-gone by the time the firemen put the f-fire out," she sputtered over her tears.

Sans pulled her over to him for a hug as he stroked the back of her head. "shhh... i'm sorry Kat. i'm so so sorry. you don't have to talk about it anymore, okay?"

She shook her head and drew away, rubbing her red eyes.

"I-I need to do this." Kaitlyn sat for a few minutes trying to steady her breathing before she continued.

"Aunt Luce was everything to me. She was the only real connection I had left to my parents; she was the only real family I had left." She sniffled.

"I put the wedding on hold for a while. Sam said he understood, that he wanted to be there for me in any way possible, but one day he just said he was done. He said he couldn't take any more of my depression and that I was being selfish. He said he couldn't put his entire life on hold for my 'silly emotions,' and that he had 'moved on.' Luce died in November and Sam broke off the engagement in January. I thought he just needed some space for a little bit, but I found out the jerk had just found a new toy to play around with." Kaitlyn pinched the bridge of her nose in anger and as an attempt to keep from crying again. Despite this, she still felt tears drip from her eyes and soak her cheeks.

"Do you remember that woman who came over to Sophie's?" Her voice was shaky.

"yeah, her name was, umm, Emily, right?"

"Yeah, well her daughter, Ashleigh, was my best friend at the time... and also Sam's new 'toy.'"

Sans sat in shock, letting the words fully register before he clenched his fists in rage.

how the hell could anyone do something like that to their best friend? how the hell could someone do something like that to their fiance? no, forget that, he thought, how could anyone do something like that to someone like Kaitlyn?

"It's fine. I've left that part of my life behind."

Sans looked over. He could tell she wasn't being completely honest. Tears still clung around her eyes. She fiddled with the end of her dress and stared ahead of her with obvious sorrow at losing her best friend and her fiance all at once.

"makes sense why you went off on the old bat yesterday," he said, remembering how the usually quiet and well-mannered Kaitlyn had shouted at Emily.

"There are other reasons. The relationship between me and Ashleigh was already a little strained because after Luce got sick, Emily stopped hanging around. Like I said before, most people around here don't like things they can't understand, including Luce's sickness.

I moved in with Sophie for a while before deciding that I couldn't stay here anymore. She and John were the only ones who didn't abandon Luce after finding out she was sick. They welcomed me into their home when I showed up the night Sam broke off the engagement, even though I didn't have any money. Sophie immediately assumed the role of therapist and caretaker for me," Kaitlyn tried to laugh lightly but it came out as more of a cough and the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I left at the beginning of February this year. I met you only about a week after moving away."

"why did you leave?"

"Too many memories here. I needed to move on. Maybe I should thank Sam. If he hadn't left me, I probably never would have moved away and met you." Kaitlyn smiled at Sans and blushed before adding, "and everyone else too, of course."

"then i guess i should thank the jerk too." A small blue blush crept up Sans' face as well.

"Anyway, I came to get closure. I said I wanted to visit my aunt, and that wasn't a lie, but it's so hard… This may sound crazy, but I've been calling her cellphone to leave messages even though she's, you know, gone. I know it's pointless, but I don't know if I can let her go. Going to see her feels like I'd be admitting she's really gone."

"Kat… it's okay to move on. you have nothing to feel guilty about. it's natural to want to hang on to those you love." He took her hands in his own.

Kaitlyn gripped tightly to his hands. "But I'm so tired of hanging on… God, I'm awful. Do you think she'd forgive me? I've wanted to forget for so long but it just doesn't seem right. Why did she have to be the one to suffer so much? I think I was so mad about Sam abandoning me because of my guilt over abandoning Luce. Would moving on be abandoning her again?"

"going to see her doesn't mean you're love will fade, and it doesn't mean you're giving up on her. i'm sure she wouldn't want you to feel that way. moving forward doesn't mean you're leaving her behind. you'll still have your memories of her and your love, right?"

She nodded slightly.

"why don't we go now? if you're okay, that is… maybe having someone with you will help, but if not, i understand."

Kaitlyn looked at Sans. "You'd do that for me?"

"of course i would, Kat."

Tears built around the edges of her eyes again, this time in gratitude and slight relief. She blinked them away and said, "Yes, I'd be very thankful if you did."

"let's go now," Sans said.

"What? N-now?"

"yeah, now. why not? the others can wait for a little longer, but i get the feeling it's best if we do this sooner rather than later."

"Okay," Kaitlyn nodded slowly, "okay, let's go."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Twenty minutes later, Kaitlyn and Sans were pulling into the local cemetery. She had been to the cemetery dozens of times before but that had been with Luce, not to visit her. This was different, but having Sans stand beside her as she walked up to the stones with her family members' names scrawled across the tops made it somehow seem easier than if she was alone.

Kaitlyn walked up to her parents' grave first, placing white lilies they had stopped to grab at a nearby shop on top of the stone. She knelt and paid her respects, like she had seen Luce do countless times.

She traced her fingers over the names.

Jonathan Foss and Lauren Foss

"these are your folks?"

"Yeah," Kaitlyn stood, "I never really knew them… Luce went on and on about how perfect they were for each other and how much they loved me before I was even born. My mom died after my birth while holding me, but Luce said she died smiling. My dad died a few months later of a heart attack. Luce said that he loved me more than anything else in the world but losing my mom had hurt him more than he could bare. She swears that he never blamed her death on my birth, even though it was my fault. He had a weak heart from childhood issues and had undergone a big surgery while my mom was pregnant, so the doctors said it was probably inevitable."

"what do you think?"

"Me?" She laughed, "no one's ever asked me… I guess I feel bad, but I never knew them, so I can't really say I miss them. I wish I had known them, but I've only ever known Luce." Kaitlyn turned to the newer grave beside her parents'.

"Lucille Foss, huh?" Sans bent next to the stone and placed a bony hand over the name. "guess i owe her a big thanks." He said, speaking to the grave.

"What for?" Kaitlyn came to kneel beside him.

"for raising you, Kat. gotta say, living here, i've met a lot of humans, but none of them are as kind or wonderful as you."

"Well, there was at least one." She looked to the stone. "But I think if she was here, she would say it's high-time for me to be moving on." She blinked and smiled through a sheen of tears threatening to spill over onto her cheeks.

"wish i could have met her."

"I used to say the same thing to Luce about my parents when we'd come here," she let out a little sigh. "She would've loved you. She would've loved all of you." Kaitlyn reached into a pocket sewn into her dress and pulled out a small flip-phone. "This was hers. I told you earlier that I still called it when I missed her." She gave a melancholy smile. "I've kept it with me ever since...well, since she left, but I think it's time to give it back. Will you…" she took a deep breath, "will you please help me?"

"course i will, kiddo."

Kaitlyn smiled and wiped away her tears. She and Sans dug a shallow hole in the ground and she placed the phone inside. She felt like she could finally breath again, as though a crushing weight had been lifted from her chest. She then pulled out a single yellow daffodil and planted it just above the phone.

"Daffodils were her favorite… she loved how happy they always looked and how they made her feel happy. Sh-she used to say I reminded her of daffodils..."

Sans took Kaitlyn's shoulders and faced her towards him. "Kat, is there anything i can do? anything you need?"

She shook her head and smiled a wide, genuine smile at the skeleton. "You're already doing it. Thank you, Sans. Really. You don't know how much you being here means to me."

His cheeks grew slightly hot at her words, though he didn't really comprehend why exactly…

"uh, sure kid. no problem. if you think of anything, let me know," he said as he stood and pulled her up as well.

"I will. Thank you, Sans," she smiled more at his blush. Without thinking, she leaned in and gently kissed his cheek. It was only a peck, but Sans became so flustered she might as well have kissed him full on the mouth. She laughed at his expression and began pulling him back to the car.

"C'mon silly bones, let's get back to Sophie's place. It's been awhile since we left and they're probably wondering what happened to us."

"y-yeah, sure." He followed in a daze of sorts behind her, one hand on his cheek where she placed the kiss and the other in her own hand.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kaitlyn almost felt bad as they drove back. She could feel Sans' discomfort and not just because of her odd ability. It was almost like he didn't know quite how to deal with what had happened. She couldn't really blame him though; first they run into her ex, then she turns into an emotional wreck and tells him her depressing past, then they go to visit her dead aunt and parents he didn't even know had passed, and to top it all off, she made him all unsettled by kissing him on a whim. She'd only meant it as a thank you, but got the feeling monsters didn't show thanks the same way.

Now that she thought about it, she had never seen monsters kiss each other before, even on the cheek. It was probably a very intimate thing to share for them and she had done it without thinking...

Stupid! Why did you do that? You made him feel weird…

Perhaps she could help take his mind off of it… She focused her energy on him and sensed his unease. She furrowed her brow and attempted to dig deeper. She had wondered for a while whether or not what she had done to Gaster would work with others but never had a chance, or excuse, to try.

She gently reached out with her odd power but his embarrassment and unease suddenly turned into ice cold fear and suspicion as she felt something stab through her, almost as if his mind was rejecting her. Kaitlyn gasped and nearly drove off the road and immediately pushed her emergency flashers, pulling off into the grass to stop as she did. She threw open her door and placed her hands on her knees, gasping for air.

What the hell was that?! She thought, still shaking from what she swore was a physical icicle jamming through her insides.

Sans sat inside the car frozen, wondering the exact same thing. Kaitlyn hadn't looked over to see but when he felt something touch his Soul, his left eye flared a brilliant yellow and cyan, however they were now both dark as he processed what could have happened.

Could have? Who was he kidding he knew what happened. Kaitlyn happened. He didn't know what exactly she did but it couldn't have been anyone else. He knew there was something odd about her, but he had trusted her enough to let his guard down. He certainly didn't expect for her to try touching his Soul. He jumped out of the car and strolled over to the shaking blonde.

okay, cool it Sans. maybe she doesn't really know what's up either. He took a deep breath before speaking.

"you okay?" His voice came out more curt and abrasive than he'd meant.

"Y-yeah."

"mind telling me what, exactly, that was?"

Kaitlyn nodded and straightened up. She looked anywhere but at Sans. "Let's get back in the car and I'll tell you."

She began to explain what she knew about her odd ability to Sans while they drove the rest of the way back, only leaving out anything to do with Gaster.

"so you've always had this ability?"

"Well, kinda. I used to only be able to read people's emotions but I only recently have been able to actually feel what they feel or reach into their emotions."

"Kat, you aren't just 'reaching into their emotions,' your Soul is reaching beyond its own boundaries into other beings' Souls. that may be fine if you were a monster but humans can't do that. even when monsters do it, they don't feel the other Souls thoughts or emotions, they just barely reach in to pull out the opposing Soul. i did it to you once, before we left. you remember?"

"Yeah, you said my Soul had some sort of weird coloring or something… I can't explain it. I don't know why I can do it, I just can… believe me, I want answers as much as you do…"

"how long have you been able to do the new stuff? reaching into other Souls i mean."

Kaitlyn thought for a moment. "Pretty recent, but I guess I started really experiencing other people's emotions around the time Luce got sick and you all moved Aboveground. It's gotten stronger since I've been hanging around with you and the others though. I used to only be able to sense emotions of people around me, but I guess it's just sort of grown since I met you and Papyrus."

"maybe our magic is affecting it… but that would mean what you do is also derived from magic. no, that's impossible. humans don't have magic." Sans wracked his brain. What was he missing?

They pulled up to the house but neither moved to exit the car. Sans mind raced with possible hypotheses.

Frisk had a stronger than usual Soul, it wouldn't be impossible for something like that to happen to Kat, too, but... He looked over to her. She stared ahead, avoiding his gaze. Frisk can't use magic. no, something's definitely off here.

"do you mind if we take a look at your Soul later?"

"Sure, that's fine."

"hm. don't do anymore of… that in the meantime."

Kaitlyn looked down. She still felt a touch of Sans' unease and even fear, though just barely. It was like he had built a wall so she couldn't fully reach his emotions.

"Sans, look I… I'm really sorry…. I just felt bad about you feeling awkward and I didn't want it to be weird between us so I figured I'd try and absorb those feelings but-"

"woah, hold on. backup. you can absorb emotions?"

Oops, she had wanted to keep that secret since it tied in so closely to Gaster…

"Well, y-yeah. Kinda… I guess…"

Sans sighed in frustration and pinched the area between his eye sockets. "look kiddo, i know it's been a rough and emotionally charged day, so why don't we save all this for later and then we'll talk and you can fill me in on all of the details."

Kaitlyn clenched her fists at his tone and immediately regret keeping so many secrets for so long. She absolutely hated lying. Sure, he probably had his own secrets, but he was one of her closest friends… she shouldn't have kept him in the dark about her for so long. Especially since magic and Soul research is what he did. She finally nodded and squeaked out another "I'm sorry" before exiting the car.

"Where on earth have you two been? It's been hours since you left!" Sophie exclaimed when they walked in. Sans walked away without a word. Kaitlyn watched him go with sadness and turned to a concerned Sophie.

"We ran into Sam," she started.

"Oh."

"And we went to see Luce…"

"Ohh… sweetie, are you okay?"

"Yeah, Sans helped me through it," Kaitlyn leaned into Sophie and whispered, "but I think I screwed up and made him mad on the way back."

"He'll get over it, dear," Soph whispered back, "he doesn't seem the type to stay angry for long, but don't forget to apologize when he's ready to talk." She winked.

What the heck does she think happened between us? Kaitlyn wondered briefly.

"Well, it's nearly four o'clock now so I need to start supper. The pool's already been heated if you young ones would like to swim and I'll join you after dinner," Sophie said as she smiled.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Thirty minutes later they were all outside laughing and having fun. Papyrus loved the pool and his new swim trunks but found that he had a hard time swimming so he mostly splashed around the shallow end where he could stand comfortably. Undyne was a terrific swimmer and chased Alphys and Paps around the pool but never pushed either of them into swimming where they weren't comfortable. Sans changed into his trunks but decided against getting in.

Probably because you ruined his mood, idiot. Kaitlyn mentally smacked herself for the millionth time. He still wasn't ready to talk to her, but she couldn't blame him, it had only just happened about an hour ago. She sat at the edge of the pool with her legs dangling in the water and sighed.

"OH I WISH FRISK COULD HAVE JOINED US! THE HUMAN WOULD LOVE THIS!" Papyrus bellowed as he splashed at Undyne.

"Sorry Papyrus. I've never met Frisk before so I guess I didn't really think about it. Maybe next time, okay?" Kaitlyn had been wanting to meet Frisk since she'd heard the stories from Sans and Papyrus about their adventures in the Underground.

"Having the punk kid here may be fun," Undyne gave a huge, toothy smile.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK, BROTHER? WOULD YOU LIKE TO INVITE THE SMALL HUMAN NEXT TIME WE COME?"

"hm? oh, sure. whatever you want Pap."

Papyrus climbed out of the pool and walked over to Sans to sit beside him.

"Are you okay Sans? You haven't been yourself since we came out here to swim…"

Kaitlyn stopped kicking the water at Undyne who was trying to pull her in. She excused herself and suddenly got up to go back inside. She didn't want to overhear the brothers' conversation and make Sans any more upset with her than he already was. Sans watched her go and sighed. Papyrus noticed.

"What's wrong, brother?"

"it's complicated bro… it's been a long day and a lot happened…"

"Oh, I see," Papyrus lowered his voice a bit more, "does your emotional state have to do with Kate?"

"kinda. i found out she's been keeping some stuff from me and you know how i feel about being lied to."

"Well, you know Sans, I've seen you in all sorts of moods, but I don't think I've ever seen you as happy as when you're with Kaitlyn. Honestly, I talked to grandma Sophie while you two were gone and she said that it's the same with Kaitlyn. I'm not sure what happened in her past, but apparently she hasn't always been so happy. You and I know best what it's like to come from a not-so-happy past. Not only that, but we keep a lot of things about us in the dark from her as well. You especially have lots of secrets that I don't think even I know all about and... well my point is, do you think you two could talk soon so you can both be happy again?"

Sans looked wide eyed at his brother, absolutely stunned at how well he could read the atmosphere between him and Kaitlyn. He thought they had been acting pretty normal, but he supposed there was no fooling Paps. He laughed lightly and told Papyrus, "i'll talk to her tonight, Paps. everything will be good tomorrow." i hope.

Papyrus smiled and began standing up. "GOOD. YOU KNOW BROTHER IF YOU ARE BOTH HAPPY AROUND ONE ANOTHER I TRULY DON'T SEE WHY YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN THE HUMAN ON A 'DATE' YET!" He was back to his normal, loud tone.

Sans blushed, glad that Kaitlyn had gone inside, before answering, "aw gee, Paps i-"

"Oh my god! You and Kate would be so cute together!" Alphys gushed. She turned to Undyne and announced, "that is officially my new OTP." She squealed with glee.

"Yeah yeah! I'm into it!" Undyne lifted Alphys above the water in excitement.

Sans laughed nervously. "you know it's not like that. besides, we don't see each other that way." i don't think we do, anyway…

"C'mon Sans! Just go for it!" Undyne yelled.

"Y-yeah! Plus, you k-kinda went on a date with her today!" Alphys chimed in.

Papyrus' eyes went wide and gleamed at her words. "I DID NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT! BROTHER, WHY DID YOU NOT INFORM ME THAT YOUR OUTING WITH KATE WAS A DATE? I COULD'VE COME AND GIVEN YOU TIPS!"

"not sure that's how a date works Pap… and it wasn't a date!"

Sans wished he had his hoodie so he could hide; he even considered teleporting away for a split second. Luckily, Sophie chose this moment to come through the back door and announce that dinner was ready. Sans gratefully jumped up and ran inside to escape his friends and let his face cool down. He made them all swear to keep what they'd talked about just between them before he left. He needed to have a quick chat with Kaitlyn anyway.

He took a deep breath and stepped down the long hallway to her room.

* * *

 _ **Wow, hi there wonderful! So good news is I'm not dead and I didn't fall off the planet! Bad news is I've been busy with school and haven't had as much time to work on this as I would've liked. It doesn't help that I got distracted with some newfound interests along the way (curse you Magi, Hamilton, Yuri on Ice, and Final Fantasy!) BUT I have been working on it (slowly yet surely).**_

 _ **Now that the semester it thankfully over, I should have a bit more time to work on this. I've melded some of the chapters together and haven't completely finished redoing them all quite yet but I'm well on my way! I was going to wait until I had them all done but I feel bad for making everyone wait. I know it's stuff most of you have read before but I like to think my writing has improved since starting so please feel free to refresh your memory! I think the new chapters flesh out the characters and the story a bit better to keep everything consistent.  
**_

 _ **I hope you continue to enjoy the story! Thank you for the continued support! Please feel free to leave any comments, criticism, or requests in the reviews (I promise I read every single one and really take to heart what you guys say and think!) Much love :3**_


	11. The Greatest Gift

Kaitlyn sat on her bed reading one more page from the book she had picked from Sophie's collection. She had already changed out of her swimwear and into some skinny jeans and a tee shirt. She didn't want to hear the skelebro's conversation and decided that her room was her best bet to escape Papyrus' loud voice.

"yo."

Kaitlyn's head jerked up in surprise.

Sans stood at the doorway and motioned, asking for permission before stepping in.

"How do you _do_ that?" she exclaimed when her eyes meet his.

"what?"

"You just, like, show up out of nowhere. You're either incredibly quiet or you use some kind of magic." She raised an eyebrow.

Sans chuckled, his anger and unease from earlier was gone after his somewhat embarrassing talk with Papyrus.

"Are you still mad at me?"

"nah, but we really need to talk."

"Now?"

"how about this, later tonight you can go show me the stars like you said you would when we first met and we can take turns asking questions. i haven't been completely honest about who i am and my own, uh, "special abilities" but i think that we're close enough at this point that we can talk openly with each other. what do ya say?"

Kaitlyn smiled. "I'd like that very much. You don't have to tell me everything if you aren't comfortable though."

"i'll keep that in mind," Sans nodded. "c'mon out now and eat some dinner with us. there's a skele- _ton_ of food and _tibia_ honest, i think they're waiting for us."

Kaitlyn's laugh was like music to his ears. He was glad they were talking normally again, even if it hadn't been that long.

"Okay. It'd be a _fibula_ if I said I wasn't hungry," she came back and he grinned as they got up to leave the room and join the others.

Neither Sans nor Kaitlyn talked about the events that occurred that day during dinner. Sophie steered conversation away from any questions about it, knowing that Kaitlyn would prefer not to talk about her past with everyone there. Papyrus was happy to see Sans and the young human getting along again and was content to let whatever sparked their odd behavior go with no questions asked.

Dinner was over around 6:30 and Kaitlyn was the first one to excuse herself from the table.

Sans was not long after. Kaitlyn stopped outside of her door and turned to him.

"Let's meet out back at 9:30. The stars will all be out by then and I want to show you the fireflies."

"oh yeah, you said something when we first met about some sort of flaming bug." Sans paused. "are they kinda like Grillby but smaller?"

Kaitlyn chuckled at the thought of a miniature flying Grillby.

"Not exactly, though they do light up. Some people like to call them lightning bugs."

"whatever they are. You're finally gonna show 'em to me, huh? i guess i've kinda been wondering what they look like; you could say it's been _bugging_ me for awhile now." He shot her a cheeky grin.

She laughed and shook her head.

"You're such a dork."

"would you say i'm a- _dork_ -able?"

"Maybe a little." Her eyes sparkled with laughter. "And yes, I'd like to make good on my promise to show you the 'flaming bugs' and stars tonight if that's okay."

Sans nodded. "sure, what are ya gonna do until then?"

"I think I'm going to practice the art form of Sans and take a _Kat_ nap. I'll meet you outside around 9:30."

"i'll see ya then." He winked and walked towards his room to get a quick nap in as well.

Kaitlyn sighed and shut her bedroom door behind her. She sent a quick text to Sophie letting her know she was going to sleep. She really didn't like lying to her or Sans, especially after what had happened earlier that day, and as much as she really _did_ want to take a nap, she really needed to see Gaster. She needed the truth from him about his past and she needed his permission to tell Sans that she had brought him back, whether or not Sans could get his memories of him back.

She wasn't sure how she would contact him but she figured it might be possible since he wasn't in the void anymore. She sat on her bed and concentrated her thoughts on the ghostly monster.

 _Gaster? Are you there? Can you hear me?_

A dark form slowly began to materialize before her. She smiled at him.

"I wasn't sure if you could hear my thoughts or not but I guess you can." Her voice was low to avoid any of the others in the house from hearing.

 _Of course. Perhaps it's because we spent so much time together in the void while you slept or perhaps it's because you were the one who called me back into existence, I'm not entirely sure myself._ He paused momentarily. _I promise I haven't been eavesdropping in on your thoughts though._

"I trust you, G. Can you talk to other people with the telepathy thing?"

 _I don't know. I've never tried… I don't know that I'd call this telepathy. It's true you are hearing it within your mind but I'm talking as I normally would as far as I know. In other words, I'm not thinking at you, though I'm sure I could communicate that way as well, if I wanted to. Not that you could distinguish the difference._

Kaitlyn laughed quietly. "Yes, I suppose so."

 _Kaitlyn, why did you call me here?_

"I- well you see Sans- and… and… god so much happened today I don't know where to start."

 _I was there. I saw._ Gaster looked somber. _I'm glad you've decided to move forward. One's past can be such a great burden but it only has to weigh you down as long as you let it. I'm proud of you, Kaitlyn. I wish I could be as brave as you._ He smiled weakly as he brought his hand up and ruffled her hair.

Tears sprang to her eyes. "Thanks Gaster… Thanks for being there too, even though I couldn't see you beside me, it means a lot."

 _Of course, I will always be there if you have need of me Kaitlyn._

"If you were there when Sam saw me and when I went to say goodbye to Luce, you probably saw what happened in the car, didn't you?"

Gaster nodded. _Are you going to tell him?_

"About me? Definitely. I don't like hiding stuff from him."

 _Does that mean you will tell him about me as well?_ Gaster looked slightly panicked.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I want to tell him but only if you're okay with that. I've never asked about your past but I'm pretty sure Sans and the others were a part of it... and based on your reactions when he or Papyrus is brought up, I don't think the memories are very happy ones."

 _You're quite the perceptive one. I've told you before that my past is full of regret and shame, and you have even felt for yourself what I feel. Sans and Papyrus are a large reason for those emotions._

"Did they do something? Where they the ones who erased you?" Kaitlyn wasn't sure if the skelebros were capable of doing something so horrible, but it was a possibility. After all, time changes people. She certainly isn't the same person she was only a year ago.

 _Heavens no! They have done nothing wrong. Everything was me, everything was my fault…_

"Will you tell me? _Please_ Gaster, I just want to know the truth. For mine and Sans' sake."

 _You'll hate me._ He sighed and looked down. _You'll be disgusted and wish I was gone again._

"I would never-"

 _You don't know, dear child. I was a different man back then… It's okay, I'll tell you. I've decided I would like to try moving forward as well. Perhaps telling you will relieve at least a small portion of my sins. Though it's a long story, and not a happy one._

Kaitlyn settled into her blankets and waited with open ears.

Gaster sighed and began his story. _Everything happened many years ago, back before I had even become the royal scientist and long before Sans and Papyrus' existence. We had only been sealed underground for a few years at that point but the humans who had originally sealed us were long gone by then. You see, time in the Underground and Aboveground run differently, and besides that the life cycle of a monster is usually much longer than that of a human's._

 _Asgore, the king of all monsters as you probably know, led us all through the Underground. Some stopped along the way and set up various towns while others, such as myself, followed the royal family all the way past Hotland to our capital which Asgore named New Home._

Gaster paused when Kaitlyn smiled at the name.

 _Our king is not very good with names…_ Kaitlyn chuckled before he continued.

 _I was later hired as the royal scientist in order to find possible methods of breaking the barrier. We knew that it would take at least one human Soul for Asgore to go through and find six more Souls to break the barrier for good and set the rest of us free._

"You needed _Souls_ to be set free?"

 _Unfortunately yes, seven Souls of each dominant trait found in humans were sacrificed in order to put the barrier up and seven Souls of the same nature had to be sacrificed to break it down, although I was hired so Asgore could avoid using that method._

"The magicians sacrificed their own Souls just to seal monsters away?"

 _If only it had been that simple. No, they took sacrifices from their own people._

"Why? How could they? I can't imagine monsters doing anything to deserve being locked away in the first place… what happened?"

Gaster sighed.

 _So many questions, young one, and it's all so complicated but I shall try my best to explain. I cannot say the reasoning behind the humans' sacrifices from their own people nor do I know if the sacrifices were willing or not, though I'd guess there was a mixture of both, but as for why we were sealed away in the first place… Well, it was found out that monsters had the ability to take and absorb human Souls and could gain god-like powers from doing so. The humans became afraid, despite Asgore's laws against it and promises to never do or allow such a thing, and they attacked us. A long war ensued until the humans were victorious. We used to be as numerous as your kind, but the war cost many their lives. Even in the end, all monsters kept to Asgore's laws and never used a single Soul to gain the power to win. The king surrendered in order to save what was left of us, and the humans sealed us away._

 _I've always loved inventing, so when we were sealed away I began my work to better the lives of our people. Soon, I caught the king's eye. It was not long until he asked for me to become the official royal scientist whose main job would be, as I said before, finding an alternative way to break the barrier. I didn't accept immediately, I couldn't. I knew there was no way I could invent something powerful enough to break the barrier. Alphys, who was my apprentice at the time, gave me the idea of creating someone rather than something, who yielded enough power to free us._

 _I began planning and building my lab. It took a very long time, and I still wasn't fully convinced it could be done. Even so, the people were filled with hope that one day, I would succeed and we could be free again._

 _In the beginning, I was proud to contribute to such a cause, but as time passed, the pressure became too much and I lost sight of why I became the royal scientist to begin with: to give the people hope. I came to think that nothing mattered but being free, not even the very monsters I had been trying to save. It then went from freedom being my goal to just simply gaining the credit for freeing everyone. My ego grew such that I refused to hear anyone else's ideas for the barrier._

 _I became selfish and self-centered; only the end result was important, no matter the cost. I tried to create my own organic Soul from the bodies of passed monsters, a shameful crime though not as shameful as live specimens. I also built a body mirroring my own as a host but... All of my attempts failed._

 _I could not create a monster strong enough with only my own magic and tools to work with. I found… others to contribute though I can't say it was completely of their own volition._

 _It took me many months to finish and still many more tries before I finally got it right. I was devastated to find it still wasn't enough. In the end, I found that in order to accomplish the goal I had set I would need a human Soul to extract whatever essence it was made of, so I thought it was quite fortuitous when a human fell down._

 _They were the first fallen human. At first I thought my work had been ruined. I had worked so hard to find an alternate way to free us and I was_ not _ready to let it all go to waste. I convinced the king to leave the human's Soul alone, though not for any noble reason. I wanted to be the one to free monsters, not some petty child who had happened to fall down and became a sacrificial lamb. It wasn't hard to convince Asgore; his son, Prince Asriel Dreemurr, had found the human before anyone else and befriended them. Asgore and his wife, Toriel, adopted the child as their own._

 _I told Asgore I had found another way and all I needed to do was extract the Soul from the human and take a sample of whatever it was made of. No harm would come to the human that I could foresee at the time. The only problem was Asgore still had a law in place saying that extracting human Souls was forbidden due to the war. I had him abolish the law and began my experimentations._

 _Every human's Soul has its own unique property in place rather than magic: Integrity, Justice, Determination, Kindness, Patience, Bravery, and Perseverance. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses as well as varying levels of power depending on the human. This human, the first human, had a great deal of Determination which I greedily extracted. The child lived but the process was extremely painful and it changed… something within them._

 _They had always been a bit of a trouble-maker and a prankster but after extracting some of the Determination from their Soul, they became devious and conniving. It worsened day by day but the royal family refused to see it. As far as anyone was concerned, that human was just as much the king and queen's child as Asriel was, and I was content with this. I was not willing to admit that I made a mistake. That I was responsible for the change happening within the child._

 _Time passed and the child grew darker until they attempted to poison themselves. Young Asriel held them as they whispered a last request._

 _They wanted to see the flowers in their village one last time before they died. Asriel took the human's Soul and absorbed it in order to go through the barrier and lay their body on the bed of flowers they had described. I'm not quite sure what happened while he was on the surface, but I gather that he scared the humans and they attacked him. So much time had passed that humans had forgotten about us; they believed monsters lived only in fairytales rather than right beneath their feet, so I'd imagine that when one with god-like power appeared before them, they panicked._

 _Asriel came back, bloodied and beaten, and he Fell Down._

"What do you mean he 'fell down'?"

 _When a monster Falls Down they go into a comatose state where they are suspended between life and death. Most of the time, when a monster Falls Down, they die, and this is exactly what happened to the young prince. He Fell Down and died minutes later in the royal garden and in his mother and father's arms. His dust settled over the flowers and only the human child's body remained._

 _Toriel and Asgore were crushed. The king vowed to steal any human's Soul who fell into the Underground until he had the seven needed to break the barrier. Toriel was disgusted. She thought the king's decision cowardly rather than brave. One night, the queen took the child's body and left the capital and the king to live elsewhere._

 _I didn't care. Their personal lives were their business, though I knew in the back of my mind that my experiments with the child's Soul was most likely the cause. I still refused to admit any failure._

 _I accelerated my experiments and began living in my lab. Before the death of the Fallen child I grew more and more distant from those I cared about. I finished my creation just before the child attempted poisoning themselves. I made my subject to be a child as well but not a baby in order to obtain maximum energy and growth capacity and kept him down in the basement. He was built to look similar to me and though I called him S-1, he was more accurately my 247th attempt. You know him today as Sans._

"Hold on a second… you _made_ Sans?"

 _Yes, I made Papyrus as well later on. It is the one thing from my past that I don't regret, however my treatment of them… it is one of the greatest regrets I have from that time. I'm ashamed of everything I did them. I was cruel. They were only children who didn't ask to be made and yet I brought them into this world and did nothing but terrible things._

 _He was never meant to feel emotions or physical pain. He was only built to be a puppet for me to manipulate in order to bring down the barrier. Imagine my surprise when he could not only feel on move on his own, but also displayed the capacity to learn and develop a personality of his own. I didn't think he'd be able to ever learn speech patterns… though he picked up sarcasm quickly as I recall..._

 _I experimented initially on Sans' basic stats and observed his growth and budding personality. He had the same basic abilities as I did but nothing more. I began injecting small doses of Determination as well as some of my more powerful magic into him. He Fell Down and nearly died. I healed him and tried again. The cycle continued until I was satisfied with his abilities, but when I brought him to the barrier to try breaking it, he couldn't._

 _I was perplexed and angry. I blamed him and began making a newer, 'better' model: S-2, better known as Papyrus. If Sans couldn't do it alone, then I'd make another. It was as I was finishing Papyrus when another human fell down into the Underground. I decided to attack the barrier problem from several angles rather than just the one I had been looking at. I made Sans join Asgore's royal guard and convinced him to hunt humans for the 'greater good' of all monsters. Asgore had already collected one human's Soul from before Sans was fully ready but it took a toll on his emotions. The king isn't someone you'd think of as a killer or even as a bully. He was soft, so I told him of Sans and said that he could collect the Souls instead. This way, no monster had to dirty their hands, Asgore could fulfill his promise to the people, and I could claim the credit through Sans while still continuing my research on them both. I rationalized that bringing down any humans would make him stronger, and it would give me more Souls to work with._

 _It was around the arrival of the fourth human when I decided to abandon the idea of bringing the barrier down with a Soul's power or a synthesized monster's magic. I began researching time travel, thinking if I could go back to before we were even sealed in the Underground, then I could prevent any of this from happening._

 _I told Sans to bring me Papyrus so I could experiment with the time travel preparations I had made on him. Sans refused. I realized he had grown to love Papyrus as a real brother. I didn't understand and thought it was foolish but I started utilizing Papyrus as blackmail to get Sans to do what I wished. If he wouldn't bring Papyrus in for experimentation, then he would have to take his place. If he didn't want me to make Papyrus kill humans for their Souls, then he would have to do it._

 _And he did. Everything I'd ask he would do. I'd still experiment on Papyrus when Sans wasn't around, but not nearly to the extent I would have, though I'm sure it still caused him pain and permanent damage… Mentally and physically…_ He looked down, ashamed.

 _In the end, my time travel experiments backfired and I was thrust from the timeline. It took me a while, but I learned that I could watch them from the place you call the void. I found out that everyone had forgotten about me. All traces of my existence, save my experiments, had been erased._

 _No one could remember how the skeleton monsters came to be, and they moved to a small town named Snowdin. No one knew I built the lab and Alphys, who had been my apprentice, was now the royal scientist._

 _Everything after that is not related to Sans and Papyrus and the others, though I did continue to watch them grow and interact with those around them. I can't say when exactly I changed and really reflected on who I was when I existed and became disgusted with myself. I believe it had a great deal to do with watching Sans and Papyrus grow up._

 _Regrettably, it was only during my time in the void that I began to really love who they were and thought of them as living beings with Souls and emotions rather than just puppets. They became everything I wasn't. They were kind, compassionate, zealous, and loved one another and their friends, all despite my cruelty. They see the good in others, even when someone is bad, all they see is the potential for good. They are my pride._ Gaster smiled.

"Wow… you really weren't the best person, huh?"

 _I told you you would hate me._

"I don't hate you Gaster." Kaitlyn placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "I'm happy that you recognize your mistakes and changed your outlook. I'm glad that you told me and proud of how far you've come since then. You don't need to hold onto your pain anymore… This is your chance to move forward. Moments of reflection are good for the soul, but regrets solve nothing."

 _What do you mean?_

"I mean that, now that I know the full story, I can tell Sans when we talk and you can say you're sorry. You can finally move on."

 _What? I don't know…_

"I know, I know. It'll be hard to explain since he doesn't really remember you, but I think getting his and Papyrus' forgiveness might bring you back. Or, you know, the rest of you back."

 _No, if he didn't remember me it wouldn't be as frightening._

"What do you mean?"

 _Sans remembers everything. I wasn't sure before, but when he came to your room last night, I was positive it was me he saw beneath the door._

"How is that possible? I thought you were in the void because no one remembered you?"

 _Yes and no. The others' memories being affected was more of a side effect of my existence being erased by getting stuck between timelines. I needed someone to call my name back into existence in order to really come back, so that the timeline itself would remember my existence._

"I see, but why would only Sans remember?"

 _Because of the time travel experiments he underwent. He gained the ability to control small pieces of time and space around him. When I found that he couldn't extend himself past a few minutes and therefore couldn't go back to before the barrier was created, I started building a giant machine called the Core in order to attempt amplifying his ability. It was during the first experiment we did with the Core that I fell in and was ripped from the timeline._

 _I saw bits and pieces of what happened next; Sans tried to go back a few minutes and undo what I had done but to no avail. If the timeline no longer acknowledges one's existence, even going back to when they existed wouldn't work because they are completely pulled from that timeline. It stands to reason that he would remember due to his ability and the fact that he tried to go back and save me in the first place, though I could never confirm for sure because I was stuck in the void for quite some time before I found I was able to watch the others from there. I must say, he apparently got very good at pretending he didn't remember me by the time I found I could watch them. Though I guess it wasn't too hard for him to forget and leave behind the one who caused him and his brother such great pain._

"That makes it all the more easy! In that case, all I need to do is have him acknowledge your existence, he'll talk to you and see that you've changed, and he'll forgive you. Then I can go tell the others so they remember and you can come back!"

 _You are a true wonder, young one._ He smiled. _I wish I could share your enthusiasm, but I fear that Sans will not be as ready to forgive me as you are. You don't truly have the full story, just a condensed version of what I did. I made them, Sans especially, go through true hell._

"Please Gaster? We won't know until we try… and besides, Sans wouldn't have tried to save you back then if he didn't care at least a _little,_ " Kaitlyn pleaded.

"And besides that, I… I don't want to lie to him anymore…"

Gaster sighed but nodded his head.

 _I'll trust you on this one. I apologize for having you lie on my behalf thus far and appreciate you trying so hard for my sake. I will leave you two alone for some privacy as I'm sure that's how Sans would prefer it. If you mention my name, I'll come but I won't make my presence known until he says himself that he wants to talk._

"Thanks G." Kaitlyn pulled him into a warm hug before he faded away with a somber smile on his face.

 _I wonder if Sans can still time travel…_ Kaitlyn wondered as she settled into her bed to nap. It had been a long day and she was exhausted in every way imaginable. _I wonder if he'll tell me anything about Gaster. Probably not._ She couldn't really blame him if he didn't. It sounded as though she didn't get the details from Gaster for a reason. Even without the details, based on what he'd said, Gaster hadn't been the greatest towards Sans and Papyrus.

Thinking about all of the things he might have done made her a little angry if she was completely honest, but she had to remind herself that he was different now. There was no way he would hurt them or anyone else now. She could feel his love for her and for her friends. She had felt his sorrow, pain and regret and would still get traces every so often. She knew she couldn't keep just absorbing his negative emotions forever; she'd go insane if she did. The only way to help him now is to get him on the path towards forgiveness.

Sans would understand. He _had_ to. Even so, Kaitlyn didn't know why, but she couldn't shake the feeling of unease at the thought of mentioning Gaster to Sans. She definitely believed it would help both of them in the end but… If Gaster was a cruel as he'd said, would Sans even want to see him? She wondered if he would be angry that she'd brought someone from his dark past back.

Kaitlyn shook her head and refused to think so negatively.

 _I'll hold on to the hope that Gaster can come back and Sans can become truly happy, with no regrets._

It was to this thought that she shut her eyes and imagined Sans ultimate gift he could give to Gaster: forgiveness.


	12. Heart to Heart

When 9:00 finally rolled around, Kaitlyn exhaled and counted to three before pulling on a light jacket, grabbing a small jar and heading outside. To say she was nervous would be an understatement. She was borderline terrified. Talking to Sans and telling him everything had seemed like the only plausible possibility for her an hour ago, but now that she was faced with the reality of actually going through with it, she was feeling anxious thinking of how he might react.

Based on what Gaster told her, Sans probably wasn't a huge fan of her ghost-like friend. She could tell that Gaster had changed, but she could only pray that Sans would be able see what she did.

 _He said I still don't know the whole story,_ Kaitlyn thought to herself. _What the hell else could Gaster have done to him and Papyrus that would make him think Sans would hate him so much?_

She decided overthinking wouldn't solve anything and quickly headed towards the side of the house where the roof sloped at the lowest point. Both her and Sans were pretty short, so she wasn't sure how they'd pull off climbing up. John usually helped her but by now he would already be fast asleep inside.

 _Oh well, we'll figure something out,_ Kaitlyn thought.

She came out a little early to catch a few fireflies and save them the time so they could talk more. She pulled out the small jar from her jacket pocket and began her hunt. By the time she heard the back door creak open she had already caught five but quickly shoved the jar back into her pocket, wanting the fireflies to be somewhat a surprise for Sans.

"hey."

"Hey… you wouldn't happen to have a ladder on you by any chance, would you?" She looked nonchalantly at the roof, still fiddling gently with the jar of flying lighting bugs hidden in her pocket.

Sans looked at the edge of the roof that was just out of Kaitlyn's reach. He looked around before saying, "we won't need it."

She looked confused for a second before feeling herself being lifted into the air. Her mouth dropped and she gazed down at her body which was illuminated with a blue glow. Her eyes went to Sans who had a hand lifted into the air and a blazing blue left eye. She was still staring at him with her mouth wide open when he flickered out of sight below her for a moment before reappearing on the roof next to her.

"Wha… but… how di…?" She couldn't even form a complete thought as she looked back and forth between Sans and the ground below.

He chuckled at her baffled expression before raising a hand to her face and closing her still open mouth. He winked and smugly replied, "magic."

Kaitlyn shook her head and attempted to reorganize her thoughts.

"alright, so we obviously have a lot to talk about, soooo how do you want to do this?" He looked slightly uncomfortable. Whether Kaitlyn could tell just from looking at him or because of her ability, she couldn't really say. She felt so jumbled herself, she had no idea where to start. There was still a nagging worry at the back of her mind, no matter how hard she tried to shake it off...

"I hope you don't hate me after tonight…" She hadn't meant to say it aloud, it was simply one of the many floating thoughts she had bouncing around that had bubbled its way to the surface.

"not possible."

"No, you don't understand. There's more than just what I explained earlier."

"doesn't matter. i really don't think i'm capable of hating you."

"I hope you're right… I'm just not sure where to start…"

"why don't we start by trading off questions? we'll start with easy ones and work our way up, and if you aren't ready to share, you can pass."

"Alright," Kaitlyn nodded slowly, "you first."

"in that case," Sans exhaled, "do you mind if i take a look at your Soul? i saw it a few weeks ago, but i'd like to get another look."

"Go ahead, I don't mind."

He concentrated his magic on Kaitlyn and pulled at her Soul until he coaxed it out with a small pop. It was different from last time. There were no extra tendrils of light surrounding it, though it was the same dark blue as last time. It emitted a soft glow between them and seemed to pulse every few seconds. Sans reached out and poked the heart.

"Hey, that tickles!" Kaitlyn laughed, looking a little surprised at the same time.

"hmm... so i guess you really are Integrity."

"You talked about it a little bit before, but I'm not sure I understand fully yet... basically you mean that's my Soul's trait? Integrity?"

"yeah, it means that integrity is your center, your core. Honesty and your morals are what drives you forward."

"What does your Soul look like?"

"it's not much to look at. all monsters have white Souls. they're made of love and magic."

"You told me that before, but can I _see_ it?"

"w-well... i guess it's okay…" Sans began to pull at his own Soul but stopped just before it came out. He turned to face her.

"why don't _you_ try pulling it out?"

"But I can't..."

"sure you can. just reach out like you normally would to feel emotions but instead of just feeling, try reaching a little further and pulling at what you feel. don't do it too hard, nice and slow." He was curious if she could do it but also curious if he could block her. He knew when normal monsters pulled out Souls, there was no way for a human to stop them, but he wasn't sure about the other way around.

Kaitlyn nodded and focused on Sans. She reached out like she normally did and her blue Soul began to glow brighter until the light around it shifted and moved forward in a coil. She reached further but just as the light touched Sans, it jolted backwards. She felt like the breath had been knocked out of her momentarily.

She turned her head to Sans, gasping for air and said, "Stop doing that!"

"s-sorry, i wanted to see if it would work… try again, i promise i won't push you out."

Kaitlyn's Soul hesitantly reached out for Sans again but this time it wasn't thrown back when she reached him. The glow from her Soul slipped into his midsection where his Soul was. She felt his curiosity and caution and maybe even a little fear. She tried not to think about his emotions and instead focused on gently pulling at what she felt.

It was odd, she had never thought about _what_ she was feeling before but now that she knew it was a Soul, it made sense. Besides the swirling emotions, she felt a hum of life and warmth and… magic. She pulled more at the sensation until Sans' Soul popped out and floated near hers.

"It looks different…" Kaitlyn observed the Soul. It was white like he said it'd be but it had a nasty red gash across the front that had several white stitches across it.

"guess we both have weird looking Souls," Sans replied, looking at her Soul which now had soft cyan and yellow lines wrapped around it. He looked up to see her confused face and explained, "it's the residue from reaching into my Soul. Monster Souls are always white, that's true enough, but some of us also carry small amounts of extra emotions that make up our core and manifest themselves in our magic."

His left eye flared a brilliant cyan then flashed bright yellow before dying down.

"the blue magic from earlier is also an example but that's more of a… borrowed power, i guess. not really mine."

Kaitlyn's mind flashed to Gaster but she shook the thought away. She wasn't ready to talk about him quite yet.

"So then-"

"nope, sorry Kat, but you asked your question. my turn." He gave a smug grin before continuing to his interrogation. She sighed and gestured for him to continue.

"so you said earlier that you can absorb emotions. how? how is it any different from just reading or feeling emotions?"

"It's hard to explain and I don't really know the logistics of how it works, it just does. Basically when I feel someone's emotions, I'm just scratching at the surface of their Soul and it doesn't take too much concentration, but when I'm absorbing or experiencing those emotions, I'm reaching _into_ their Soul. It also takes a lot more focus and there _is_ downside to it. When I absorb the emotion, it doesn't just disappear, it has to go somewhere. I take the emotion on for myself and experience it as if it was my own. It's a little different than just feeling it without absorbing it… Like it's magnified. Sort of like the difference between empathy for someone and actually experiencing whatever that person is going through. It can also cause massive headaches but I think that depends on the emotion and the person."

Sans nodded, his eyes closed in thought.

"My turn, why does your Soul have that scar?"

One eye opened. "pass." He took his Soul and pushed it back into his chest as Kaitlyn did the same.

"Okay, then here's an easy one that I've been wondering for awhile now…" Kaitlyn looked a little embarrassed but asked, "how do you eat? Like I get you probably eat the same way that humans do, but how do you taste? Where does it go? Do you digest it? How is that possible without a stomach?" She spoke fast and Sans was laughing at how flustered she was getting over such a simple question.

"slow down Kat, that's way more than one question! here's the gist of it: monsters usually eat food with magic in it so that when we eat, our body just absorbs the food and it doesn't pass through like it does for humans. when we _do_ eat human food, it's a little... messier to say the least. i'll spare you the details. as far as how we taste…" Sans' left eye lit up as he opened his mouth and a glowing blue tongue slipped out. "it's different for Paps, but whether or not I taste food is more of a choice. it comes in handy when Paps cooks."

"That's amazing!" Kaitlyn was stunned by the way his body worked so differently and immediately wanted to know more but held back her questions.

"my turn. the first time i pulled your Soul out it had a black mark inside of it instead of surrounding it. i'd be willing to bet that it was from absorbing someone else's negative emotions."

Kaitlyn felt cold. She didn't like the direction this question was heading.

"who's was it?"

 _Shit._

"P-pass."

Sans squinted his eyes but gave a small nod of acceptance.

"in that case, can i ask you something about your aunt?"

"I guess that's okay."

"why didn't she go to a doctor if she was sick?"

"It's not a kind of sickness you can treat with medicine really, but she wasn't sent to a facility to be taken care of for a few reasons. In the beginning, she just wasn't bad enough to warrant being sent away. As she got worse, I began taking her to different doctors so she could get a diagnosis and be admitted somewhere to get help, but no matter where we went or how many times she was screened or tested, she never tested positive for anything."

"No one could figure out what the problem was, and the facility here won't admit anyone without a doctor's reference. She showed all of the signs for Dementia and Alzheimer's, but no one could get a clear diagnosis of what she actually had, especially because she had moments when she'd be completely fine… Everyone in town became scared of Luce, as if she was contagious and they'd get sick if they came around. I didn't know what to do… every time I came around it seemed like she'd get worse."

"Sophie always said she would've taken her in, but I didn't have the money to pay her and if Luce had stayed with her, Soph's business would have tanked and she and John would be on the streets along with Luce. Sam and I hardly had enough room for us where we were living... I'm not sure he would've let Luce live with us anyway. He was great at pretending he cared but looking back, I can't remember a single time he went with me to check in on her." Kaitlyn scoffed in disgust.

"Sophie and I decided that we would have Luce continue living in her own house and we would check in on her while I looked into moving her somewhere that would take her. I owe Sophie a lot… She took good care of Luce, and after Luce passed, she took good care of me." Kaitlyn smiled at the bittersweet memories she, Luce and Sophie had had during Luce's sickness and even before then. Sans nodded in understanding.

"My turn. So, that blue thing you did earlier to make me float and the teleporting thing are part of your magical abilities I'm guessing; what else can you do? And can all monster's do stuff like that?"

"well, i can also manifest bones." Sans reached behind Kaitlyn's ear as if he was performing a magic trick. "ta-daaaah!" He pulled out a small bone and Kaitlyn laughed as he wiggled his fingertips and the bone danced around her head.

She touched the bone lightly and with a wide smile said, "That's amazing!"

"that's one of my normal attacks when i'm in a fight, though i'm hardly one for fighting. my other normal attacks include the blue attack and time manipulation, which is how i teleport, and i also have a special attack, but let's hope you never have to see it."

"What about other monsters?"

"everyone has various forms of magic and levels of magic they can use. Paps can do most of the same stuff i can with a few exceptions. Undyne uses energy spears she can make appear or disappear. Alphys…" Sans squinted in thought. "i'm not too sure what she does, but i think it has something to do with manifesting blue and orange lasers."

"I see, but what is the magic based off of? Is it a genetic thing that's passed down or something else? And why can't humans have magic? You said before it seems like I have some form of magic but that it wasn't possible... why not?"

"you're going way over on your question limit, but i guess i can make an exception if you promise to answer my next question, no matter what." Kaitlyn nodded after a second of thought.

"okay, well magic is based more so on the individual, though i've heard of instances when a kid gets some magical traits from their parents. even in those cases i believe it has more to do with the kid getting personality traits from their parents rather than the magic itself."

"the other question is a little more complex. as you know, humans who had magic where called magicians and they were the ones who trapped monsters Underground. we were surprised ourselves when we learned that magicians had gone extinct over the years. apparently, after monsters were sealed away the humans began turning on each other. some magicians thought they should rule over humans as the more 'powerful' race, and some humans became frightened of the power magicians held. i think the magicians actually could have won if they hadn't sealed away monsters."

"Why's that?"

"ya see, monsters are natural conductors of magic, so their existence ironically made the magicians more powerful. with so many monsters dead and the rest sealed Underground, the magicians were weakened and humans began separating them. exiled, burned, drowned, beheaded; there was even an entire section of human history dedicated to the execution of magicians. i think humans call it the Salem Witch Trials."

"eventually the magicians all died and no magic remained Aboveground, so humans simply forgot about monsters and the magicians' existences entirely. if what you have is truly magic, you could very well be the last and only magician left."

"How do you know there's no one else like me?"

"we would be able to feel it if there was any amount of magic on Earth's surface anymore. you always seemed a little different than other humans. the only reason i didn't catch it sooner was because i thought it was impossible. besides, even if we couldn't feel it, i'm sure other humans would freak out if one of their own displayed odd powers. magic doesn't just happen randomly. when all of the magicians died, any magic left Aboveground went with them. the exception being..." Sans tapped the tip of his pointer finger on the end of Kaitlyn's nose. "...you."

Kaitlyn thought for a moment. "If magic doesn't occur randomly, wouldn't that mean it's genetic for humans?"

"theoretically, yes. all magic is genetic essentially, even for monsters. it's the _type_ magic that isn't genetic and occurs based on personality."

Sans' eyes began to widen at her train of thought. "that would mean… your family line somehow survived all this time. and on top of that, someone in your line a long time ago figured out a way to suppress any magic in your bloodline to avoid suspicion. it makes sense then that your magic didn't manifest itself until the barrier was broken."

A light clicked on for Kaitlyn and her head spun as she began to realize what Sans now knew.

"You said monsters are natural conductors for magic. When you all came back, your magic affected mine and channeled it, making it magnified until whatever had been sealing it off broke. It makes sense now why spending time around you all made my abilities grow stronger!"

"wow." Sans sat for a moment. "wow, Kat this is amazing! you're a magician! you're whole family are all-" He stopped, realizing his mistake: Kaitlyn didn't have a family by blood anymore.

"I wonder who it came from…" She had never wished she'd known her parents more than she currently did. "Luce never displayed any signs of magic and never mentioned anything weird. Then again, she also got sick when monsters surfaced so even if she had been experiencing odd occurrences, she probably wouldn't have remembered long enough to tell me."

Sans thought until another realization hit him. Magic wasn't always good, especially if you couldn't control it. His thoughts went to Luce and her sudden sickness when the monsters arrived, how Kaitlyn had said her illness could never be diagnosed, and that she always would get worse when Kaitlyn was around.

He swallowed hard at a lump forming in his throat.

 _Kaitlyn's magic could have gone out of control and caused Luce to..._ Sans shook his head.

 _i can't tell her now. maybe later but not now. she's already been through enough today…_

He could see the gears turning in Kaitlyn's head. He didn't want her to figure it out, so he tried to turn her attention back on him, waving her back to reality.

"we can figure out the rest later. for now, i'm curious and you promised me an answer, no passing." She looked around, a little nervous. "no passing this time. now, where did that black mark come from when i pulled your Soul out the first time? it wasn't yours and it wasn't mine. who's was it?"

"W-well… I may know a little more about you than you think I do…"

"what is that supposed to mean?"

"Umm… Do you remember anything about your past? L-like where you come from and stuff?"

"of course i do." Sans squinted. "why wouldn't i?"

"No, you don't understand. Do you _really_ know? U-um... Do you ever feel like there are some holes missing? Do you know anything about your parents or… other caretakers from before?"

"i don't like where this is heading."

"God, I hope you don't hate me after this." Kaitlyn sighed.

"Listen Sans, you have to understand. I didn't mean to meet him, it just sort of… happened. Like I could _feel_ his Soul crying out."

" _who_ are you talking about? what's going on Kat?"

"Don't you remember? He created you. Ga-"

Sans slapped his hand over her mouth before she could finish. His heart pounded against his ribcage.

"don't say his name. if you say his name, he'll come back." He looked around a little frantically.

"You really do remember… or maybe you never forgot?"

"the real question here is how the hell do _you_ know _him_?"

"I met him in my dreams. I'm not really sure how, but it may have something to do with my abilities. Like I said before, it's almost as though he was calling out for help. Maybe my magic reached out to him or his to mine, I'm not sure…"

"i always suspected that he wasn't really gone. what is it they say? true evil never dies…?"

"He's not evil."

"yes, he is."

"I don't think he is. Maybe he made some bad decisions, but he truly regrets them and I believe he's changed!"

"you didn't know him before. you don't even know what he did."

"But he told me! I know that he made y-"

"look, he might have told you some semblance of a fairytale truth, but i guarantee that he left a lot out. especially if you still believe in him."

"Please Sans, _please_. If you don't trust him, at least trust me. If you'd just talk to him then-"

"wait a second. Kat, don't tell me you brought him back?"

Kaitlyn looked away from Sans' pleading eyes. She couldn't bear the pain and fear she could feel pulsing from his Soul.

"no. god no. i can't do this." His eyes widened in panic. "i can't let Papyrus see him."

"He wouldn't be able to. Only those who remember him can see and hear him right now. I can't bring him back fully on my own."

"what? why?"

"We aren't really sure why, but I think it's because he feels too ashamed and too many regrets to really want to come back… I think he needs closure and since you're the only other one who remembers he even existed, I think he needs your forgiveness. Sans, he _needs_ you."

Sans sat back in shock.

"i... i don't know if i can…" His mind flashed with horrible memories of a distant past long forgotten by everyone else.

"Do you want to talk to him?"

"no, not now. i just need to think."

"Are you mad?"

"no... yes? ugh, i just don't know… you could probably tell me more about how i feel right now than i could."

"Do you hate me?"

"of course not, Kat. if i was mad, it wouldn't be at you. you didn't know. you don't know... how could i be angry at you for not understanding?" Sans laughed dryly. "i'm just confused."

"Do you want me to…?" She gestured towards his chest where his Soul rested.

"no, it's okay. getting rid of my anxiety won't solve anything. i'll figure this out."

"Well I… I'm here if you need me. For anything."

Sans sighed.

"i'm all out of questions if you are."

Kaitlyn nodded.

"you ready to go back in?"

She thought for a second then suddenly remembered the small jar of fireflies in her jacket pocket.

"Wait! I might be able to make you feel better without absorbing your emotions. I have something to show you, but you need to close your eyes first…"

* * *

 ** _Eyyy back at it again with those updates. Sorry for the long wait... life has been crazy and tbh I felt a little burnt out from school, work, family issues and such, but it's nice to be writing and editing again. New chapters will be up again soon!_**


	13. Stronger

Kaitlyn gently placed the jar of fireflies in Sans' hands after making sure his eyes were sealed shut.

"Okay, okay! Now you can open them but be careful!"

He slowly opened his eyes and gazed in wonder at the darting flies before him that looked light tiny stars, floating around. He tapped the jar lightly and squinted in an attempt to see them a little better.

"Tah-dah! As promised, fireflies under a nice, starry sky. Well? Were they worth the wait?" Kaitlyn was practically bouncing up and down in excitement. She was pleased to feel his fear and discomfort begin to melt away into wonder.

"these things are... alive?"

"Of course they are! They're a type of bug."

"we have something kinda like this but they're just flashing crystals... they don't even compare in brilliance though...and they definitely aren't _alive._ "

"Crystals, huh? That's pretty cool." Kaitlyn kind of wanted to visit the Underground. She couldn't imagine what she'd see, but she knew she wanted to see it. In would be nice to have Sans take her one day...

"wow. it's just so…. beautiful…" Sans pulled Kaitlyn from her thoughts. He was still staring and cradled the jar like it was filled with precious gems. "they're stunning."

"I don't know about stunning. Fireflies aren't really hard to find, you can even find a few in the city if you're in the right place, but they certainly are pretty neat to look at."

"no…" Sans stared into the jar. "this is the most amazing thing i've ever seen… we didn't have anything like this in the Underground. not living creatures anyway."

Kaitlyn's ignorance hit her like a train. Of course he would think the bugs are precious; he had never seen them in the Underground.

What else has he never seen? She thought for a moment. She had the sudden urge to show him everything: mountainside sunrises, the beach on a stormy night, the crackle of a bonfire beneath the stars, even the park back in the city with the pond and large willow tree that rustled at even the slightest breath of wind.

She felt the prick of tears forming in her eyes when she thought about how much she took such simple things for granted that he had never even had the chance or hope of seeing until recently. And there she was, wanting him to take her to see the Underground which had only served as a prison for monsters for centuries.

"I… I'm sorry."

Sans looked up at her, his face suddenly filled with concern when he saw her tears.

"for what? earlier? it's no big deal. c'mon Kat, don't cry... it's fine! i told you I wasn't mad!"

"No, not that. Though I'm sorry for that, too," she wiped her eyes. "I just… I never really thought about how you've never seen such everyday things before. I feel like I've taken so much for granted… even today, all I did was whine and cry about my past few months, thinking I had it bad when you and everyone else suffered for god knows how many years."

She laid her head on her bent knees and folded her arms to prevent Sans from seeing her cry any more than he already had.

"How can you all be so happy?" Her voice was somewhat muffled. "Even now that you're here on the surface, all most humans do is take advantage of you guys or try to hurt you, yet you're still happy. I just feel- I'm just so weak compared to all of you!"

Sans set the jar aside and placed a hand on her head, stroking her gently as he said, "of course we're sad at times, but… we stay strong for each other and for our own sanity. humans like you and Soph and John are the reason we hang on to hope, but even we break down sometimes. no one can be strong all the time, you gotta be weak in front of someone. and i gotta say Kat, you're pretty damn strong in my opinion. moving beyond your past is sometimes harder than actually living through the present, but you did it and you did it on your own. i might've been there as moral support, but the decisions you made and actions you took to move forward were all 100% you."

"I can't believe you're saying that after everything you've seen from me today."

"well, like i said, everyone's gotta be weak in front of someone, and if that's true, then i'm glad you chose to be weak in front of me." Sans smiled softly as Kaitlyn peeked up from her arms.

"Thanks Sans… sorry for hiding all of the stuff about my abilities and Gaster from you." She raised her head and wiped her eyes dry.

"it's okay, kiddo. i hid a fair share about myself from you too. hell, there's still a lot you don't know if i'm bein' honest."

He picked up the jar again to look at the fascinating glowing creatures inside.

"i'm sorry too. not only for hiding stuff, but i'm sorry i can't be as strong as you… i really don't know if i can ever forgive Gaster or face my past."

Sans shook his head.

"heh. it feels weird… to finally say his name after all this time…"

"I know you'll do what's right. Even if I don't agree, I know that the decision you make will be what's best for everyone, including yourself. I believe in you."

"wish i could believe in myself that much."

"You should. You're worth believing in." Kaitlyn wrapped her arm around Sans and gave him a reassuring pat on the back.

Sans shook his head. "i just feel so trapped. it's like i can never outrun my past, no matter how hard i try."

"Gaster feels the same way… Trust me, I know. He really is trying to make amends for his transgressions though. He won't let himself come back fully until he does." Kaitlyn thought back to her and Gaster's conversation. "I think he truly loves you and Papyrus. He told me he's proud of you both."

Sans looked toward the sky, still loosely holding the jar of fireflies with one hand. She reached over and placed her right hand over his, taking the jar and twisting the lid slightly.

"Nothing deserves to feel trapped."

"are you talking about me? or Gaster?" He watched as the strange bugs flew away into the darkness until he could no longer distinguish their lights from the stars.

She laughed softly and shrugged, "Maybe I was just talking about the fireflies. I think you'll have to find the answer to that question yourself."

She paused.

"Is it too late to ask you a question?"

"go ahead."

"You said before that everyone needs someone they can be weak in front of… Do you think… Do you think you could be weak in front of me and I could be weak in front of you?" She felt her heart pick up speed. Why was she so nervous to ask such a simple question?

Sans thought for a moment. It's true, he did say that, but he had never really let himself be weak in front of someone before. Not even Papyrus. After everything with Gaster, all of the resets, all of the death... he just learned to kinda bottle all of his emotions and weaknesses up. But being around Kaitlyn was different. She made him feel stronger because he could be real with her. Come to think of it, he had never really shared so much about himself with anyone else besides Kaitlyn. Maybe that was why he felt like he could trust her so much... But was he really strong enough to be weak in front of her?

After giving it some more thought, Sans finally nodded. "you already make me strong, so i don't see any reason why i couldn't be weak in front of you." He took hold of her hand and entwined his fingers with hers.

Kaitlyn looked at their hands. She had never felt more content. She closed her eyes and smiled, leaning into Sans and sighing.

"Sans?"

"hmmf?" His response came out muffled as his mouth was pressed against her hair. He closed his eyes as her breathing leveled out and became more rhythmic. He thought she had fallen asleep, but after a few minutes, he heard a soft whisper from her.

"You make me stronger, too."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kaitlyn woke up the next day back in her own bed. She wondered briefly if she had actually dreamt everything from last night. It all felt a little like a dream. There was so much that had happened. She reached over to her phone and decided to text Sans, even though he was probably still in his room, only a few doors away.

*Did last night actually happen or did I just fall asleep and dream it?

**what? don't know what you're talking about kiddo. i'm still waiting up on the roof.

*WHAT?! OH MY GOD SANS, SHIT!

**yep. been waiting so long i'm all skin and bones… ya know, minus the skin. also minus the waiting. i'm definitely still in bed.

*You sly little shit, I was really worried for a second!

**hehe no need for any anxiety Kat. you're supposed to be my strength, remember?

Kaitlyn smiled through her blush. She could feel the bastard's smirk through the phone and laughed, feeling happy rather than frustrated.

*Guess I better step up my workout routine then… You should too! You have, like, zero muscle!

**hey now, i may not look it but i can lift a skele-ton.

*Hahaha no magic lifting aloud!

**well dang. aren't you just high maintenance? i guess i'll try putting a little more backbone into it.

*It'll take more than strength. You need to be vertebrave too.

"okay, that was a good one." Sans chuckled as he leaned against the doorway to Kaitlyn's room, one hand on his phone, the other in his favorite hoodie's pocket.

"I learned from the best." Kaitlyn was sitting up in her bed. She was dying to stretch but she'd wait until the skeleton was out of earshot before popping her aching joints back into place.

"you don't happen to mean little ol' me, do you?"

"Nah, I actually meant Paps." She decided to tease him a bit.

"please, anyone who knows Papyrus knows he hates puns. and anyone who knows me knows i'm the pun king."

Kaitlyn shrugged. "Alright then your majesty. Paps still makes a pun or two occasionally."

Sans' smile grew a fraction. "true enough."

"Thanks for carrying me to bed last night."

"no problem, Kat. it was getting cold up on the roof anyway and i guess you weren't really _that_ heavy."

"Really? I'll be sure to eat more from now on then. That way next time you try lifting me I'll squash ya!"

Sans laughed.

"why don't you start with some breakfast then? everyone else is already up."

"Sounds good to me!" She sprung up from the bed and grabbed some clean clothes before swiftly heading into the bathroom and shutting the door. Sans smiled and rolled his eyes before heading towards the kitchen where everyone else was already chatting and eating.

Kaitlyn strolled into the kitchen fifteen minutes later. She had actually wanted to talk to Gaster again after she was done with Sans, but she figured he had been somewhere nearby when they talked specifically about him. He probably already knew what Sans thought and more than likely had guessed what Sans' answer to Kaitlyn would be when it came to him. She still worried though.

"Well, I suppose this is your last day with us," John said. He and Kaitlyn were the only ones left at the table; everyone else had either gone out back to play with the dog or were planting flowers out front with Sophie.

"I guess so… Coming back here and seeing you guys… It kinda makes me wonder why I left in the first place."

"Sophie used to say the same thing after you left. We both supported your decision but she hated that you had to go."

"I'm sorry, John." Kaitlyn looked down into her cup of coffee she was drinking.

"Don't be. I think it was good for you and helped you through a rough time. If you hadn't gone, you wouldn't have made such wonderful friends or have a job you love so much. I also don't think you'd be as happy if you had stayed. I've missed your smile as much as I've missed your presence and your aunt, but I'm glad it's back." John took Kaitlyn's hand and squeezed lightly. "She'd be proud of you. She always was."

"Do you really think so?"

"I really do." He smiled softly and stood up from the table.

"Well I guess I better go help my lovely wife with the garden lest she come in here and start griping at me." John winked and took Kaitlyn's empty plate to the sink on his way out.

I hope I can be as happy as they are if I ever find someone, she thought to herself. Sans face briefly flashed through her mind but she shook it off. She didn't like Sans like that! Right…? She decided not to dwell too much on it and headed out back to check up on her friends and Daisy. She had initially been a little worried that the dog might try to gnaw at Papyrus or Sans since they were made of her favorite treat, but while Daisy showed favoritism, especially towards Papyrus, she had never attempted to take a bite out of them.

As she suspected, Papyrus and Undyne were playing fetch with the large Shepherd while Sans watched beneath the shade of a large oak tree. The pool glistened nearby and was still a little warm from being heated. When Daisy spotted Kaitlyn, she bounded over and dropped a chewed up Frisbee at her feet.

"Alright girl, here we go!" She reeled back and let the Frisbee fly to the other side of the yard.

"HUMAN KATE! IT IS VERY NICE TO SEE YOU UP AND ABOUT! I WAS BEGINNING TO WORRY IF YOU WERE SICK!" Papyrus yelled from a few feet away.

"Nah Paps, I just got bit by the sleeping bug I guess." She said back as she walked over to sit beside Sans.

"A BUG OF SLEEP? SANS! PERHAPS THAT IS WHY YOU SLEEP SO MUCH, YOU LAZYBONES! YOU SHOULD REALLY GET THAT CHECKED OUT."

"nope, i just like to _bug_ you is all."

"SAAAAAAANS!"

Kaitlyn laughed alongside Sans while Papyrus began stomping his feet and Undyne rolled her eyes. Daisy just cocked her head to the side and brought the Frisbee over to the stomping skeleton.

"Back to the real world after today…"

"yeah, i haven't broken the news to Paps about this being our last day here. i know he'll want to stay…" The large skeleton was back to playing with Undyne and Daisy.

"So much has happened in just a few days… it's crazy. Is there anything you want to do before we leave?"

"i don't know… i guess i wouldn't mind going out somewhere with everyone. ya know, make the last day special."

"We could go to the park and have a picnic for lunch! It's nice and warm out today and I bet Paps would love it. I know Daisy would." Kaitlyn laughed as the dog and Papyrus began chasing Undyne.

"You'll never catch me alive!" She yelled, running so fast she was almost just a blue and red blur.

"you think anyone else will be there? i don't want to go if it'll cause trouble, especially with those two." Sans nodded towards the pair of running monsters.

"I think it'll be fine as long as we all stay close with one another. If you guys stick with me, Sophie and John, it should be okay."

"alright, sounds fun. do you want to go see Luce one more time before we go?"

"Not yet. I know I said I moved past it yesterday but it'll take some more time before I'm okay to see her again. I should also tell the others at some point too I guess."

"i'll handle it."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"yeah, i'll let them know about Luce without giving away too much. you're still working past it so i don't want you feeling upset if you talk to them."

"Thanks, Sans… Just-... Thank you."

"no problemo Kat. you want me to let Sophie know about going to the park and all?"

She nodded with a smile.

"okay, cover for me." He winked and was gone in a second.

Damn teleporting! Forgot he could do that… Kaitlyn thought after staring at where Sans had been sitting moments ago.

She closed her eyes and contently listened to the sound of monsters playing with the dog while the pool trickled with water.

She hoped this peace would last forever.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans and wasn't quite done with Kaitlyn yet...

* * *

 ** _Very chill kinda chapter but I should be uploading the next one soon! Thank you for reading and I'm nearly finished with my redone chapters so the story will move forward again shortly!  
_**


	14. What's Your Type?

"THIS PLACE IS AMAZING KATE!"

"Yeah, this place totally rules!"

As expected, Undyne and Papyrus absolutely loved the park. John barely had time to stop his truck before the two hopped out of the bed along with Daisy and raced towards the playground, or as they called it, the "obstacle course."

Some of the families that had been there with their kids packed up and left when the monsters arrived but others stayed and, surprisingly enough, let their kids play with the odd group of monsters, humans, and a dog.

"How about over here Soph?" Kaitlyn stood beneath a large tree near the playground.

"Looks good to me! John dear, will you help me spread the blanket?" Sophie began shaking any dust out of the picnic blanket and John took the opposite side as they laid it out.

Sans brought two baskets full of various sandwiches, snacks, and cookies.

"D-do you think they'll be okay?" Alphys watched as Undyne and Papyrus began chasing kids around the playground.

"I promise they'll be fine Al," Kaitlyn patted her friend's shoulder and smiled. "And if anyone tries messing with them, I'll make them regret their existence." She still had a pleasant smile but the fire in her eyes and tone behind her words somehow made Alphys more nervous.

"Why don't you go get those two and we'll eat before the food goes bad, Kaitlyn?" Sophie asked as she began setting out the trays of food on the baskets.

Kaitlyn nodded and walked over to Papyrus and Undyne who had been running around non-stop since they arrived. She smiled as she watched Papyrus help a smaller kid climb up a set of bars while Undyne swung from the top of a slide, cheering the child on.

"c'mon guys! time for some grub!"

Kaitlyn jumped slightly and did a double take. Since when had Sans been beside her? Or had he just never left her side? Well, whatever.

"DID ANYONE BRING SPAGHETTI?"

"No Paps, just sandwiches and snacks but we have something special planned for dinner!" Kaitlyn called.

"Dude, we gotta learn how to cook more than just one dish." Undyne laughed as she leaped towards the ground.

The child waved as their new playmates left to go eat and the group headed back to their picnic spot. They ate until they were completely full yet there was still somehow food leftover.

"It's so nice out." Alphys breathed in the fresh air. She nibbled at her cookie, completely stuffed.

Papyrus sat near Daisy and rubbed the dog's belly affectionately. Undyne was stretched out beside Alphys and seemed to be nodding off. John and Sophie were leaning against a tree trunk, holding hands, whispering and giggling occasionally like a couple of smitten high schoolers.

"the surface is beautiful when it's like this."

Sans and Kaitlyn were laid out next to each other on a soft patch of grass near the others. They were gazing at the sky and had been pointing out different clouds that resembled silly shapes as they floated lazily across the blue expanse.

"Anything would be beautiful when it's so calm and serene. You guys had moments like this in the Underground too, right?"

"yeah, but it's not the same… even when things seemed good down there, everyone knew it wasn't really. there were a lot of problems down there, and for me personally... well let's just say a lot of my memories from being there aren't the best."

Kaitlyn took Sans' hand and squeezed it tight for a moment.

"I'm sorry… I'm always here to talk or even just to listen if you want."

"thanks Kat, but i think those memories are better off left behind and forgotten. i've moved beyond most of that stuff anyway."

"Don't you mean you moved _past_ it?"

He snorted.

"i always heard the greatest _present_ lies in tomorrow's future anyway."

Kaitlyn smiled and closed her eyes, her fingers still tangled together with Sans' who had also shut his eyes.

They laid that way for a few more minutes before a scream ripped through the once peaceful scene. All at once, everyone was on their feet and looking around. Kaitlyn realized Papyrus and Daisy weren't sitting near the group anymore but were now a few yards away, standing over a woman who was the source of the terrible scream. Daisy was growling deep in her chest and looked about ready to attack the woman.

Kaitlyn knew Daisy wouldn't be on guard unless something was threatening Papyrus and sprinted over but Sans was somehow there before her, asking if Papyrus was alright.

"I-I'm okay br-brother, I j-just…" Kaitlyn could feel the poor skeleton's confusion and fear rolling off of him in waves.

"Is there a problem, miss?" She turned to the woman on the ground as Alphys and Undyne came up behind her. John and Sophie were kneeling on the ground, attempting to calm Daisy down.

Kaitlyn offered a hand to the woman but she just glared at her as though Kaitlyn had just slapped her. The woman began to stand and brush the dirt off of herself.

"Well I saw a child playing with this ravenous mutt and that… thing, and decided it was my civil duty to come protect her." Though she stated it in a matter-of-fact manner, her voice shook slightly.

Kaitlyn turned and saw a trembling little girl standing near Papyrus, clutching to the bottom of his scarf. She only looked to be around four or five but seemed to be absolutely terrified of the woman.

"Are you her mother?"

"Well, no… but I-"

"Does she look like she's scared of my friend? Does it look like he or the dog hurt her in any way?"

"...No."

"Then I'd suggest you leave her and us alone before we call the police for harassment."

"As if anyone in authority would choose to side with creatures like that over me! Not only that, but your crazy dog tried to attack me!" The woman shouted.

"Daisy is trained to only attack if someone is attacking her or someone she considers family. You didn't try to hurt my friend now, did you?" Kaitlyn folded her arms and behind her, Sans' left eye flared a viciously cold cyan.

"W-well, I…"

"I'll repeat myself. Leave. Unless you want to be arrested for harassment and assaulting someone who's unarmed." As Kaitlyn said this, she began pulling Papyrus' fear from him and attempting to redirect it toward the woman.

She had never tried planting emotions before, but she guessed it worked as she didn't experience the fear but for a moment and watched as the woman started growing pale. Without another word, the woman stood up and walked away.

Kaitlyn sighed and turned to her friends.

"Damn you can be scary for a punk." Undyne whistled lightly.

Maybe they had felt the fear she'd pulled in the air before planting it? Who knows. Kaitlyn had never tried anything like that before so it obviously wasn't going to be perfect the first time. She knew one thing. Whatever she had just done made her feel weak and tired, like she had used too much of whatever power she held. Strange. Simply pulling emotions never made her feel like that.

She glanced at Papyrus who seemed to be mostly fine now but felt sadness swirling around him, having replaced his fear.

Poor guy really wants to believe in everyone. Seeing someone like that with so much hatred really gets to him. Kaitlyn thought as she began pulling his sadness and absorbing it for herself. She could feel how torn up he was about the attack.

"Are you all okay?" Sophie asked everyone but was looking pointedly at Papyrus when she said it.

"i think we're okay, just a little shaken." Sans patted his brother on the shoulder.

"WORRY NOT DEAR FRIENDS! FOR I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS AND NOTHING CAN SCARE ME! IN FACT, I DON'T FEEL SCARED AT ALL ANYMORE!"

Sans threw a quick look over to Kaitlyn who suddenly seemed extremely interested in her shoes and was staring down at them. She wasn't sure how Sans would react but at the moment she knew if he looked disappointed she would start crying. Papyrus' sadness really packed quite a punch.

"Tiny human, are you alright?" Papyrus' voice lowered as he directed his attention to the girl still holding onto the end of his scarf.

"Yes, I'm okay… I just want to find my mommy." Her brown curls were a mess and her large green eyes looked to be slightly moist.

Kaitlyn knelt in front of her.

"What's your name, sweetie?"

"Sarah."

"Okay Sarah, why don't we all look for your mommy together? Would that be okay?"

Sarah nodded and moved in front of Papyrus, holding up her arms as though asking to be held. Papyrus happily obliged and swung the girl into the air.

Kaitlyn thought about absorbing the girl's fear for herself but ended up not really needing to. Within minutes of being picked up by the tall monster she was all smiles and laughter. It was probably for the better. She wasn't sure she'd be able to actually use her power again right after transferring and absorbing emotions. She felt exhausted.

As the group searched the large park for Sarah's mother, Kaitlyn and the others got the full story of what had happened between Papyrus and the woman from the small girl herself.

"I was walking and saw something I never saw before, a giant skeleton!"

"THE GREAT PAPYRUS HIMSELF!"

Sarah laughed atop said skeleton's shoulders.

"I wanted to play with Pap Pap and the doggy, but then that scary lady came over. She had a real mean face and sounded mad and she tried to grab me. When I said I didn't want to go with her, she got really really mad. Pap Pap got worried and told the mean lady to stop, but she got a big stick. Like the biggest stick I ever saw."

"IT WAS PRACTICALLY AN ENTIRE TREE!" Papyrus interjected.

Sarah nodded fiercely in agreement before continuing. "She tried to hurt him but Pap Pap and the doggy were so brave. When she swung the stick, Pap Pap covered me and the doggy got mad and let out a giant ROAR." Sarah lifted her hands and scrunched her face as if to mimic Daisy in that moment. "The doggy grabbed the stick from the lady and the lady fell down. Even though it was scary, the doggy and Pap Pap were so cool! They protected me!" The small girl looked absolutely smitten with the monster and dog, her eyes shined in admiration for them both.

"OF COURSE, I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS AFTER ALL! AND HIS TRUSTY DOGGY FRIEND WHO IS ALSO QUITE GREAT! THOUGH NOT AS GREAT AS PAPYRUS, WHO IS THE GREATEST!"

Everyone laughed and played around as they looked for Sarah's mom until they finally found her. She had been searching frantically and was extremely grateful to all of them for keeping Sarah safe and helping her. Sarah gave a sad smile as she hugged everyone, getting to Papyrus twice, and waved goodbye when they left.

Papyrus looked a little sad but Kaitlyn could feel he was mostly happy that he had made a new friend.

They all prepared to leave as well and gathered their belongings before heading back to John's truck. Papyrus climbed into the truck bed alongside Daisy, who had almost looked jealous of the small child that had been carried by Papyrus. The dog promptly laid herself across Papyrus' lap after he had settled into a comfy position. Alphy and Undyne got the backseat while John drove and Sophie sat beside him. That left Kaitlyn and Sans to climb into the truck bed with Papyrus and Daisy, both of which had fallen asleep before the truck even started moving. She stumbled a bit climbing up but was caught by Sans before she hit the ground.

"Thanks... sorry, I guess I'm a bit tired," she said meekly.

"s'okay, would this sudden exhaustion have anything to do with whatever it was that you did back there?" Sans spoke softly so as not to wake his brother while pulling Kaitlyn up to sit across from him.

"Thing?" Kaitlyn feigned ignorance and looked off to the side. She still felt a twinge of Papyrus' absorbed sadness and wasn't in the right frame of mind to be scolded.

"taking Paps' fear, which i'm assuming was you and not the little girl."

"Oh, _that_ thing…" she sighed, "I'm sorr-"

"thanks."

Kaitlyn faced him and arched her eyebrows in surprise. "What?"

"thanks for helpin' him. you got him to calm down so thank you."

"Oh, I thought you'd be mad."

"why would i?"

"You just got so mad when I tried to do that to you."

"if you thought it'd make me mad, why'd you do it?"

Kaitlyn looked over to her sleeping friend.

"I just couldn't bear to see him like that."

"then there's no problem. i don't like people casting magic stuff on me but i also may have some… trust issues. but if it helps my bro, i'm grateful for it."

Kaitlyn looked down to her palm and stretched her hand. She could still feel the magic hum just beneath her fingertips.

"It's weird. I can feel it. It's still growing."

"you're magic?" Sans whispered, though there was no way anyone else could hear them. Papyrus was out like a light.

"Yeah, didn't you feel it?"

"i felt something but i wasn't sure it was you because i didn't sense your Soul reaching out to mine. though i was kinda wondering what that ominous feeling was in the air while you were talking to that human."

"I was transferring his fear into her."

"say what now?"

She nodded, confirming that he had heard her right.

"Sans, I was transferring his emotions into her. I was taking Papyrus' fear and sadness but was directing all of his fear to her. I think I somehow channeled it to go right through me into her." She still felt weak from it.

"so... you can plant emotions?"

"I'm not fully sure how it works. I've never done anything like that before, but I don't think it's that simple. I can't just manifest emotions, so I think I need someone with those specific emotions to transfer them into another being."

"i wonder if it works with positive emotions too…"

"I don't know. I've never even tried absorbing positive feelings before… It seems kind of cruel to take someone's happiness, love or any emotions like that away, though I don't really see why it wouldn't work…"

"hmm…"

"What in the world is your brain scheming this time?"

"i'm just trying to figure you out."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"i'm curious what your magic Type is. all monsters can do magic, but i told you before that the type and power of every monster's magic is different. i'd be willing to bet human magic, or magician magic, is the same way."

"What types are there?"

"i said before that monsters, while made of love and compassion, can hold specific prominent emotions similar to that of human Souls which manifest when they fight as colors, also similar to human Soul colors. these emotions, Integrity, Justice, Determination, Perseverance, Kindness, Patience, and Bravery, are really more like… categories for magic users."

"Categories?"

"it's hard to explain but yeah, sorta. these strong emotions can affect the power and sometimes even the Type of magic we can use and can even serve to strengthen our Souls, if we have the willpower, but they aren't the defining Type of magic we use. humans are different because the dominant characteristic they hold defines their Soul Type and their physical abilities, but not magic because they don't have any. but you, however…." Sans scratched at his head and stared at Kaitlyn with a completely puzzled expression.

"since you can use magic, you should also have a magic Type, but i'm not sure if it has anything to do with your Soul's Category, Integrity, or not. if it did, then i would've guessed you'd be able to tell when someone is lying to you or not but that isn't the basis of your abilities, though i guess feeling others' emotions can be considered that… kinda."

"What kind of magic Types are there?" Kaitlyn cocked her head sideways at Sans.

"there are five basic magic Types," he began counting them off on his fingers as he went, "there's Attack, Defense, Healing, Controlling, and Specialty magic. each of these are divided under five different Classes." Sans snapped his fingers and multiple bones appeared between him and Kaitlyn, forming themselves into a little floating pentagon.

"first off, here at the top is the Reinforcer Class, they specialize in Attack Type magic. Undyne is in this Class." Some smaller bones also appeared and formed the names of the classes as he spoke. Kaitlyn laughed a little at how cute the tiny bone-words were, but continued listening intently to Sans.

"to the right of the Reinforcer Class is the Protector Class. this Class specializes in Defense Type magic. Paps is in this Class. the Class in the bottom right is called the Manipulator Class. this Class uses Control Type magic to influence other beings or things in order to use them to their advantage whether that's attacking, moving stuff around, or even being able to manipulate things like time and space."

Sans winked and disappeared only to reappear beside Kaitlyn rather than across form her.

"that's my Class. my initial guess was it might be yours too because i thought you could manipulate people's emotions, but the more i learn, the less i think it's manipulation and more of a transference. you aren't really controlling or changing how they feel as much as just removing the emotion entirely and displacing it… unless there's something you're not telling me…?"

Kaitlyn shook her head and shrugged. "You know what I know. I didn't even think I'd be able to transfer emotions to another person like I did with that woman at all. It was just something that felt right at the moment."

Sans nodded thoughtfully before continuing down his bone diagram. "moving to the bottom left now, we have the Medic Class which specializes in Healing Type magic, and the monster queen, queen Toriel, is in this Class. the last Class before coming full circle is the Specialist Class. This Special Type magic really varies from Soul to Soul and usually depends more heavily on the user's central or basic Category of emotion than the other Classes do, though any Class can derive a bit from the central emotions of the magic user. i suspect this is your Class since your magic doesn't seem fall neatly into any of the other Types or Classes. Alphys also falls in this Class."

"Okay, but if everyone is part of their own specific Class, then why can Undyne still defend herself if she's an Attack Type Reinforcer or Papyrus still control bones like you if he's a Defense Type Protector?"

"well, ya see, even though every monster falls into their own Class, they can still learn stuff from other Classes, though the ease that they learn depends on their own Class as well as their personality. monsters who have learned and mastered the magic from each Class are called 'Boss Monsters'. these monsters are strong and are commonly known as monsters that have enough strength, magic, and raw willpower for their Souls to manifest outside of their bodies for a short while between Falling Down and death."

"Why would their Souls manifest in the first place?"

"it's sorta like a defense mechanism. one last chance at survival unless something or someone deliberately intend on killing the monster. if the intent to kill is strong enough, the Soul will shatter shortly after materializing. it's kinda like a stage 2 to Falling Down ,if it's easier to think of in that way."

"Suuuuure."

Sans laughed. "i know it's a lot to take in, just bear with me a little longer, Kat."

She nodded and sighed, back to listening.

Sans brought the floating pentagon with each Class beside the points back in front of Kaitlyn.

"depending on a monster's Class, they can attempt learning the magic Types to master another Class besides the one they have naturally. typically, the closer the Classes are on the diagram, the easier it is to move from one to another, though the Special Class can be an exception because it is almost always very difficult for a non-natural Special Type magic user to learn and even harder to master."

"God this is hard to follow… I wish I had played more RPG type games as a kid," Kaitlyn groaned as she attempted to sort out what Sans was saying.

"i'll try to explain it as simply as i can. don't worry, Kat, you're smart. you'll get it… eventually anyway."

Kaitlyn glared and Sans laughed at her obviously feigned anger.

"to use an example, take Paps. like you said before, he's in the Protector Class, but because he's in the Protector Class which is right next to the Reinforcer and Manipulator Class, he has an affinity or inclination to learning Attack and Control Type magic."

"Was it easy to learn since his Class is next to those?"

"woah now, don't misunderstand. even if a Class is right next to yours, don't expect it to be necessarily easy to learn. the Type of magic in a Class next to yours would just be easier than learning magic from a Class not directly next to your own. it still took Papyrus months of training with me to learn a few tricks from Control Type magic and even longer to learn some Attack Type magic from Undyne. even now, he's far from mastering either."

"I see. So, other than your natural Class, what other Class Types do you, Alphys and Undyne know?"

Sans laughed. "i can't seem to find the motivation to learn more than i already know, but i get by. i do have control over certain Special Types of magic but that was… forced onto me rather than learned." He flinched. "most times you can't learn another Type of magic that isn't directly next to your own before mastering whatever is closest. what i mean is, usually because i'm naturally a Manipulator, i would have to master the Medic Class before i could hope to learn any special Type magic within the Specialist Class. however, due to… extenuating circumstances, i jumped across to a different Class without learning the surrounding ones first."

"as for Alphys and Undyne, well i don't know too much about Alphys' magic because she hardly uses it, but i think she's only in the Special Class, and Undyne… she's actually a Boss Monster so she's mastered all of the magic Types and Classes, though she prefers to just stick to her Attack Type mostly. it can really wear you out if you use magic outside of your own natural Type and Class, even after you master it."

"Wow, I knew she was strong but damn." Kaitlyn blinked and looked through the back window at the monster's wild, fire-red hair.

"she's pretty strong, for sure. been training under the king since she was a kid. he taught her most of the stuff she knows, the rest she figured out on her own."

"I can see why Paps admires her so much… are there any other Boss Monsters?"

"no one we know of other than Undyne and the king and queen. Gaster used to be…" Sans looked distant when he mentioned the old scientist's name.

"He isn't anymore? Is it because he disappeared?"

He shook his head, eyes closed.

"he gave up certain pieces of himself, of his magic, to make us," he gave a nod towards Papyrus.

"Well, at least he did one good thing, right?"

Sans squinted his eyes, though his frustration wasn't aimed at Kaitlyn at all.

"the sacrifice wasn't for any righteous purpose. trust me." He sighed. "and the things he did were beyond abuse. maybe even beyond forgiveness."

Kaitlyn looked down, her eyebrows drawn together. Her heart hurt to hear Sans say something like that.

"Could you talk to him at least? Please, Sans. It's so hard to see you both hurting so much. Maybe if you could just see what he's like now-"

"i don't know that it'll make a difference."

"You won't know if you don't at least try."

"i gave up trying long ago." The words felt eerily familiar to him.

"Sans…"

The silence stretched between them. Kaitlyn was exasperated at her inability to do anything helpful. She knew to make everything go away, she could easily just absorb all of Sans' and Gasters' negative emotions so that they were both completely open to talking, but she also wanted to respect her friends enough to let them work it out on their own. Not only that, there was also the issue that her emotion absorbing wasn't a permanent fix and Sans obviously didn't want her doing that without his permission, it at all.

"What am I supposed to do?"

"you've done more than enough, Kat. this is between me and Gaster now. who knows? maybe one day i'll be ready, just give me some time to think about it." He didn't sound too serious about thinking about it though...

"I just want everyone to be happy. You all deserve to be happy."

"i'm not sure about Gaster. hell, i'm not even sure if i deserve to be happy. for all my talk about Gaster, i've done my fair share of dirty work. what i am sure of is that you deserve to be just as happy as everyone else. especially me and Gaster."

"I think you deserve happiness… I think Gaster does too. At the very least you should both be free from your past, whatever it was. I just don't know what I should do to help."

Sans thought for a moment. He wanted Kaitlyn to be happy, probably just as much she wanted him to be happy, but he was honestly at a loss as to what he could do for her, too. He scratched the back of his head and realized there was only one thing he could do for her. The best way he could help her.

"i... i guess i can try… if it'll make you happy."

"I don't want you to do it to make me happy, I want you to try so it makes you happy. That would make me happy."

"isn't that just a more round-about way of making you happy?"

She shrugged and he sighed.

"do i have to decide now?"

"Of course not."

"then let me think about it. i promise i'll think about it for my own sake, though i can't say at least some of it won't be for you too." Sans smiled softly at Kaitlyn.

"Thank you, Sans." She smiled back and noticed the house coming into view before them.

"Let's wake up Papyrus, we're close to the house." She began to move over to the sleeping skeleton and dog.

"wait."

"Hm?"

"before that, can i just…" Sans reached around Kaitlyn and pulled her a little closer to him. He noticed her cheeks flush a soft pink and could feel her heart beating wildly against his chest, seeming to synchronize with his own racing heart. He pulled back from the hug and just as her face became inches away from his own, he tilted her head down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"thank you too, Kat."


	15. Q and A for Chapter 14

Q&A Chapter 14.5

 _ **Note: These are some previously asked questions from before I started rewriting this series but they are all still relevant so I wanted to include them with Chapter 14. If anyone has further questions, please don't hesitate to ask!**_

 _ **Hi lovelies! So I decided to have a "chapter" update of the questions asked because they were really good questions and in case anyone else reading this in the future has any of the same questions! There weren't many questions but my answers were pretty long which is why I decided to have a chapter for it (and it can serve as a reference chapter in case anyone needs it). I'll do the questions first then have an important Author's note at the bottom. If you want to skip the questions, that's fine, but please look at my note at the bottom! Thanks guys!**_

* * *

 _ **Name isn't guest**_

 _ **Q: So, quick question. Have you ever seen Hunter x Hunter? Because the way you laid that out for the magic was VERY similar to how Nen is laid out.**_

 _ **A: Yussss I absolutely love Hunter x Hunter and was wondering if anyone would catch that! I based it a little off of how Nen works but it's important to note the differences. In HxH you're pretty much stuck with whatever category you're naturally born with while for magic in this story, your category can change based on personality changes. Monsters' magic is based off their personality while Nen is more of a natural thing.**_

 _ **Also, in HxH, not everyone can use Nen. In this story, anyone with the potential for magic (all monsters and magicians) belong in a category. And anyone in Saving Them can learn and master all categories to become a boss monster, though because it is so hard there aren't many. In HxH there's only one character who ever learns all of the different categories, and they can only do that because of a condition they made for themselves.**_

 _ **One more thing, in HxH there are a lot of techniques under Nen such as Ren, Zestu, Gyo, En, ect… Saving Them won't have anything like that because this isn't a story about battles and fighting like HxH is and because monsters don't like fighting so they have no need for those kinds of techniques. Most monsters don't even seek to become stronger, the exceptions being Undyne and Papyrus.**_

 _ **MachUPB**_

 _ **Q: That was a great chapter. I love seeing the characters here develop, whether that be abilities, emotions, or relationships. Question: are there any other monsters in Undertale that you'd classify as being dominantly manipulator class?**_

 _ **I look forward to the next chapter. :)**_

 _ **A: Hmm that's actually a tough question. In the game we only get to really know a couple of characters: Sans, Papyrus, Toriel, Asgore, Alphys, Undyne, Mettaton, and (kind of) Muffet.**_

 _ **In my mind, though I doubt I'll ever need to say for this story, Muffet falls under the Specialist Class because she uses her weird purple ability and because she only semi fights the character directly, opting to use her spider companions instead. I don't think she's controlling them or making them fight though so I don't consider her a Manipulator.**_

 _ **Mettaton would be a natural Protector in his first form as a robot because he's invulnerable in that state but when he changes to his second form he becomes more of a Specialist due to the unique abilities he uses and not to mention his attack and defense aren't all that impressive in his second stage. Mettaton is the only one who is able to change Classes freely due to his body. As a ghost I like to think he still would have been a Protector because he wanted to protect Nabstablook. He still kept that feeling as a robot but when he turns into his more glamorous form, his focus is more on the spotlight which causes his Class to change as well.**_

 _ **Asgore is a boss monster so he can use all Types but I think he would be a Protector naturally as well because he wants to protect his people.**_

 _ **Asriel as a child I can't say because we never saw his powers as a kid, but I'd like to think he took after his mom or dad and is either a Medic or Protector. His second form (Lord of hyperdeath or something like that... After he absorbed the Souls) would definitely be a Reinforcer.**_

 _ **Flowey doesn't have a Soul and therefore can't be categorized under any Class. Omega Flowey (who absorbed the human Souls and therefore does have a Class) would most likely be a Manipulator because he is controlling the Souls.**_

 _ **Gaster (before he became a boss monster) was a Manipulator as well. He had the ability to use blue magic and could manifest and control and extra set of floating hands. It was only after he became a boss monster that he gained the ability to use the Gaster blasters which he created for the sole purpose of being able to use Specialist abilities (in my head cannon anyway). You'll find out more about him losing his magic and such as the story goes on. Him giving some up for Sans and Papyrus is only partially true, it also has a lot to do with personality changes (such as Mettaton when he transforms).**_

 _ **I'll expand more on Sans in the spin off I'm working on (and will post in the nearish future). He was not originally a Manipulator but his Class changed because of his own personal emotions and how Gaster affected him when he was young. That's all I'll say for now because spoilers ;)**_

 _ **I hope this answered your question! I know I went on a little long but I just want to make sure you got it because the whole diagram can be confusing especially since I can't really show you guys pictures and y'all can't see into my head... Let me know if you have any more questions, I'm more than happy to answer! :)**_

 _ **Z0mb3xor**_

 _ **Q: So like is it possible to direct me to a diagram you drew out possibly? I get lost easily and if you would allow, I would LOVE (not the acronym ahah) to use that magic class system in my fanfiction!**_

 _ **A: I drew it on a piece of paper so there's not really a place I can direct you to... But I can explain it here so you don't have to look through the chapter again!**_

 _ **Think of a pentagon (you can google the shape if you need help picturing it... I had to haha)**_

 _ **At the top point is the Reinforcer Class which specializes in attack Type magic. Undyne is a Reinforcer.**_

 _ **To the left of the Reinforcer Class is the Protector Class which specializes in defense Type magic. Papyrus is a Protector.**_

 _ **Just below the Protector Class (on the bottom right) is the Manipulator Class which specializes in controlling or manipulation Type magic. Sans is a Manipulator.**_

 _ **The the left of the Manipulator Class (on the bottom left on the pentagon) is the Medic Class which specializes in healing Type magic. Toriel is in this Class.**_

 _ **Above the Medic Class (on the upper left side) is the Specialist Class which specializes in, well, special Type magic which is basically any magic that doesn't really fit neatly into any of the other categories. Alphys is in this Class but to give you a better sense of this class since in the actual game we never see Alphys really fight, I'd consider Muffet to also be in this class.**_

 _ **Basically it would look something like this:**_

 _ **. . . . . . . . . . Reinforcer**_

 _ **Specialist . . . . . . . . . . . Protector**_

 _ **. . . . .Medic . . . . .Manipulator**_

 _ **I hope that looks okay because I'm typing this all on my phone so I have noooo idea if it'll look right on a computer... If it's all messed up that's why haha**_

 _ **Of course you can use this system in your fanfic! I'd be honored! The only request I have is that if you could possibly mention me and Saving Them in an authors note, that would be greatly appreciated. Let me know what your fic is called! I'd love to read it (even if you end up not using the system or changing it a bit which is totally cool with me :) )!**_

 _ **P.S. I really enjoyed talking to you! You're pretty funny and nice so to anyone else reading this, be sure to maybe stop by z0mb3xor's profile and check out their stories!**_

* * *

 _ **If any of you ever want to use any aspect of my story I say go for it! The only thing I ask, like I said to Z0mb3xor, is that you mention my story. Also, you guys should definitely try watching Hunter x Hunter. It's an awesome anime and the whole magic system in this story is based off of a system from that show having to do with this ability people can use called Nen and... well it's just freaking amazing (but also a little complex lol).**_

 _ **I hope this answered some other people's questions they may have and want to take a moment to thank the ones who asked the questions at all! You're all wonderful and your reviews and support is what keeps me motivated to writing this story (because believe it or not it's tough sometimes.) I wish there was a way I could thank all of you for your kindness and support other than just writing it in this... Seriously, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.**_

 _ **If anyone else has any questions please ask! I love talking to you guys in the author's notes but talking on a more personal level is really neat too. Even if you just want to chat about something random or just need some encouragement or to vent; literally anything. I love when I get to talk to you guys!**_

 _ **Anyway, like I said before the next real chapter will be up soon and I apologize for this random little blah fake chapter but I felt it was necessary and too much to be at the bottom of a real chapter. Love you and be on the lookout for a new chapter soon!**_


	16. What is This Feeling?

Kaitlyn did her very best to avoid Sans over the next few hours. She wasn't mad at him or anything, but she wasn't really sure what to say. After what happened in the truck, she could hardly form a sentence she was so flustered. When they reached the house, Kaitlyn promptly excused herself and went into her room to rest. She'd tried falling asleep but couldn't stop thinking about Sans and eventually gave up sleeping. She lackadaisically pulled herself up from her bed and stretched out on her plush rug with a book.

She didn't get through the first page before her mind wandered back to Sans.

It was… odd. She hadn't felt this embarrassed when _she_ had been the one to kiss him on the cheek, but that somehow felt… different... Humans do intimate things like kiss and hug other people all the time. When monsters show any form of intimacy, no matter how small, it always seemed more meaningful. Not as casual. Kaitlyn just wasn't sure what to think.

 _What does Sans think of me?_ She wondered. She wished she could make her own feelings go away for once.

 _I wish I knew what he felt…_

It was a silly thought. If she was really curious, she knew she could just read his emotions, but she also didn't want to invade his privacy or his Soul. He seemed to know when she was doing it now ever since she tried to reach into his Soul. He'd probably just eject her and get mad…

She shook her head. What did it even matter? This whole thing was stupid. She didn't have feelings for that bonehead!

...Right?

 _No of course not! Sans is just a good friend!_ She reaffirmed in her mind. And there was nothing Kaitlyn was willing to do to jeopardize her friendship with him.

But still… If she really didn't have any feelings past friendship for him, then why did it hurt when she thought of his kiss from earlier possibly meaning nothing to him? Why did her heart flutter at the thought of him pulling her close?

Was all of that really just feelings of friendship?

Kaitlyn ran her hands through her hair and took a deep breath, attempting to rationalize. Of course it's normal to get nervous when someone kisses you! She gave a heavy sigh of semi-relief.

 _I don't have time for this right now anyway. I need to focus on sorting my life out before I even think about trying to sort out something as complicated as feelings,_ she thought.

She pulled herself up from her uncomfortable position on the bedroom floor to stand up and stretch.

 _I wonder where Soph keeps that old guitar that used to be Luce's?_ She quietly opened the door to the hallway and began her search. Playing an instrument and singing had always calmed her down when she was younger.

After looking around in the attic for a while, Kaitlyn found what used to be Luce's favorite possession. It had dust all over it but she was sure it still played the same. She was grateful Sophie even kept it, seeing how she or John couldn't play even tune the thing, let alone play any chords. She carried it down and made sure everyone else was either outside or napping before she began to thumb the strings and tune the guitar.

It wasn't anything too special to anyone else, just a standard acoustic, but it had been a gift for Luce from Kaitlyn's father when they were younger, and her aunt had always cherished it. Kaitlyn didn't want to take it with her when she first left. She used to cry whenever she saw it, but she was okay now.

Now that she had Sa-

 _Nope! Not thinking about that right now! Too busy tuning, brain!_

After she had it properly tuned, she cleared her throat and hummed a few notes before starting into a lullaby Luce used to sing to her nearly every night when she was young.

 _Wandering child of the Earth_

 _Do you know just how much you're worth?_

 _You have walked this path since your birth_

 _You were destined for more_

The song felt so natural, almost second nature, for her to sing. Kaitlyn continued into the chorus _._

 _You are the dawn of a new day that's waking_

 _A masterpiece still in the making_

 _The blue in an ocean of gray_

 _You are right where you need to be_

 _Poised to inspire and to succeed_

 _Soon you'll finally find your own way_

She finished the song, feeling the last note ring in her chest and though the guitar.

"wow. i never knew you could play the guitar. or sing."

Kaitlyn jumped and nearly toppled over at Sans' voice. He caught her shoulder and brought her back to a normal sitting position. He was standing just behind where she was currently perched on the couch.

"sorry, Kat. didn't mean to scare ya." He chuckled slightly and blinked out of existence a moment before sliding in next to her on the sofa.

Was he sitting closer than he usually did? Or was she just being paranoid?

She laughed nervously. Her heart felt like it was going into overdrive and her face felt hot… with embarrassment of being caught singing, of course.

"It's okay, I don't think I ever told any of you I could play the sing and guitar."

 _Did I really just say that?_ Kaitlyn's face somehow grew hotter.

"I-I mean play the guitar and, uh, sing." She laughed but it sounded a little forced.

Sans snickered.

Which did not help Kaitlyn's current emotional or mental state. At all.

"well, you're pretty dang talented at playing the sing and guitaring."

He watched as the blond relaxed a bit and let out a real laugh. He could tell she was somewhat unnerved at his presence at the moment. Though he had to admit he was enjoying how flustered she was getting at least a little.

"anyway, i think i actually remember you mentioning having some education in music, right?"

"Yeah, musical theory, but it was mostly for fun. I liked learning about music so I took some classes in it, though I had already been singing and playing instruments since way before then."

"you can play more than just the sing?"

Kaitlyn gave a full laugh. It sounded like music to Sans' ears… pun intended, of course.

"Yes, I also play the guitar," she said holding up the acoustic slightly, "as well as the piano, tenor sax, and the violin. Gotta say, the violin was the toughest for me by far, but the sound is captivating. Too beautiful to not learn how to play it."

"nice, maybe you'll play it for me one day?"

"O-oh, I don't know… it's been awhile since I've even picked up an instrument."

Sans arched his eyes in the direction of the guitar.

"Other than this one, of course! Heh…"

Kaitlyn felt like the awkwardness between herself and Sans was almost tangible. She had no idea what she should say, so she began strumming a few new chords instead.

"well, i'd like to hear you play all of those other things one day too." Sans had shut his eyes and appeared to be dozing.

 _Does he really not think anything of what happened? If he does, he's damn good at hiding it._

Kaitlyn couldn't feel a trace of nervousness from the skeleton. In fact, he seemed to feel completely at peace. She wasn't sure she had ever experienced his emotions be this calm before. He almost always kept his guard up, at least a little, even before he knew she could read emotions.

She stopped strumming mid-song.

 _I wish I knew what you were thinking…_ she sighed. Even if she reached into his Soul to experience his emotions, it wouldn't change the fact that she couldn't read minds. She could know he felt peaceful, but she'd never be able to find out _why_ unless he told her.

"what's wrong?" Sans was staring at Kaitlyn with one opened eye.

"It's silly…"

"lucky for you, i specialize in silly."

"I thought you specialized in lazy."

"ehh, that's more of a hobby. silly is definitely priority number one."

Kaitlyn laughed lightly. She adjusted herself so that she could face Sans better.

"I was just… wishing I could read your mind."

"you've got the next best thing, don't you?"

"I guess… but knowing how you feel doesn't give me any insight as to why you feel a certain way."

"i see. well, it's nice to know i can still keep some secrets from you." He chuckled. "seriously though, i wish i could do what you do. read emotions, i mean."

"Why?"

"Kat, if you think i'm a mystery, can you imagine how i see you? i never know what you're feeling or what i should say. to me, you're practically an enigma."

Kaitlyn looked down thoughtfully.

"I never thought of it that way before…"

Sans nodded.

"anyway, if you want to know what's on my mind, you can always just ask."

"Okay then… why do you feel the way you feel?"

"what do ya mean?"

"I mean… well, you're just so at peace right now. I've never felt a Soul as calm as yours is at this moment. _Especially_ yours."

"why wouldn't i be at peace?"

"Because I-"

What was she supposed to say?

 _Because I'm not. Because I'm only just now realizing that when I'm around you I'm not in the least bit calm. Because ever since you kissed me earlier, peace is the last thing I've felt._

Kaitlyn sighed.

How pathetic was she? It was only a little peck on her forehead. She had gone much further than that with Sam when they were together, but nothing he had ever done made her feel like this. Her first kiss with Sam had been comforting, familiar, maybe even a little cold. Yet just a peck on the head from Sans was electric, exciting and made her feel warm inside. Safe.

"...you still with me Kat?"

She shook her head. "Huh? Oh yeah… Anyway, my point is, you've never felt that tranquil before. Even in the most peaceful situations. I guess what I'm wondering is, why now?"

Sans leaned back and shut his eyes again.

"i dunno. i just… i trust you, so i feel like i can let my guard down i guess."

"You… you trust me?"

"of course."

Kaitlyn could feel a knot tie itself up in her throat. Sure, a lot of people trusted her, it's not like Sans was the first one who'd confided in her, but… Sans was different. From the moment she met him, she could tell he hardly trusted anyone.

Sans heard Kaitlyn mumble something beneath her breath. "...anks..."

"what was that?"

She faced him, tears in her eyes but a wide smile across her face.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me. I… I always swore I'd never trust anyone after what happened with Sam and Ashleigh, but… I trust you too."

"gee, Kat. you're gonna make me blush." He laughed lightly, feeling a little embarrassed by her confession.

"Well, it's true," she laughed along with him.

"I'm really lucky I met you and everyone else. Even luckier that you offered me a place to stay when we first met." Kaitlyn looked distant for a moment.

"You really saved me. I was having a rough time. Who knows what would've happened if I hadn't walked into Grillby's. If I hadn't stayed out way later than I should have. If I hadn't met you..." She trailed off and sighed. "Maybe, in a way, I'm glad all that stuff from my past happened to me. If it hadn't, I never would have had the opportunity to get to know you."

Sans blinked, astonished she'd say something like that. He was grateful to have met her as well and, if he was honest with himself, was also kind of glad her past had led her to him, though he hated that she had to go through so much pain to get to this point. He was happy she was here, sitting in front of him, smiling. He would do anything to protect her wonderful smile. Had she always been so beautiful? How had he not noticed before? Maybe it's because she smiled more now… or maybe it was because her smile was for him?

His heart skipped a beat.

"hey, since you can always tell what i'm feeling, do you think you could occasionally let me in on what you're feeling and thinking?" He wanted to know more about her. He wanted to figure out exactly what he could do to make her smile more. To make her laugh. To make her cry tears of joy. To have her stand beside him and stay the way they were in this moment.

"Right now?" Kaitlyn laughed. "Ya know it's kinda funny. I can tell what everyone else is feeling but I don't really reflect on what I'm feeling all that much." She closed her eyes as if in concentration.

"I think I feel peaceful right now too." It was the truth, even if she had felt the exact opposite only a few minutes ago.

"then why'd you act all surprised that i felt that way!" Sans pushed Kaitlyn's arm playfully and she started laughing again.

"I didn't feel like that before you goof!" She pushed back at his shoulder gently. "I guess talking to you helps calm me down."

Sans smiled unconsciously.

"Kat... i think i-"

Sophie chose this moment to walk inside along with Papyrus.

"-and that, my dear, is what a meatball sub is."

"SO IT'S NOT A REAL SUBMARINE? WHO KNEW!"

Sans and Kaitlyn both nearly jumped out of their skin. They had forgotten anyone else was even at the house.

Sophie saw them on the couch and eyed them for a moment before her gaze drifted to the guitar.

"Oh sweetie, I never thought you'd play that old guitar again! It's so good to see it in your arms!" She gushed.

Kaitlyn smiled. "Yeah, I figured it was about time to brush up on it, though it has been a while."

"OH MY GOD! YOU PLAY THE, UM, GEETAR KATE? THAT'S AMAZING!" Papyrus turned to Sans and whispered, rather loudly, "Sans, what is a geetar?"

"This is a guitar, Paps." Kaitlyn held up the instrument and played a chord to show the tall skeleton.

"WOWIE! WHAT A NICE SOUND!"

"Oh if you think that's nice, you should hear her sing!" Sophie said matter-a-factly.

"YOU CAN SING KATE?!"

 _"Sophie!"_

"she sure can Paps. pipes of gold, really."

"Not you too, Sans!" Kaitlyn groaned while the others laughed and Papyrus practically begged her to sing. He was absolutely set on hearing her sing and wouldn't give up until she promised to sing him a few lullabies before bed later. She'd never seen someone so excited to go to bed.

She couldn't help but wonder what Sans was going to say just before Sophie came in. When he had started saying whatever it was he was going to say, she had felt a spike of emotion coming from him. She couldn't quite place what it was, but it had felt familiar and warm. Almost like when Aunt Luce would hug her.

Kaitlyn tried to get a read on him, just to see if she could feel the same emotion one more time and place what it was, but it didn't surface again. He caught her prying a couple of times but just smiled slyly at her. She wasn't sure if he was mocking her or just letting her know he was okay with her reading him now. Either way, he didn't try to eject or block her at all, and in return she didn't try to pry any further than the surface.

Later that night, after Papyrus was already fast asleep and she had sung her last lullaby to him, Kaitlyn ventured outside to get one last look at the country stars before returning to the city.

She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling the light breeze against her skin and listening to the quiet hum of sounds that only revealed themselves after dusk.

"hey stranger."

For the third time that day, Kaitlyn felt her heart leap into her throat as she tried to hold in a yelp of surprise.

"When are you gonna stop trying to scare me half to death?!"

"when it stops being funny." He smirked and Kaitlyn rolled her eyes.

"What are you doing out here?" She asked, looking up at Sans who was perched on the roof above her. She knew he hadn't been there only seconds ago.

"just wanted to see the sky like this one more time before going back." A firefly had perched itself on one of his bony fingers. He sat and watched it intently.

"Same. Could you give me a lift?"

Sans nodded and surrounded her with his blue magic before gently setting her down beside him.

"pretty sure i said this before, but i'm gonna miss this place…"

"Yeah… It'll be weird to go back after so much has happened."

Sans nodded.

"I wonder if everything will just go back to normal?"

"what do ya mean?"

"I don't know… I just want things to stay the way they are. I'm afraid if I leave I'll go back to how I was."

"i guess there's the option of you staying here…" Even though Sans was the one to suggest it, he looked dejected as soon as the words left his mouth.

"Maybe…"

He looked at her, a look of worry and regret that he had even made the suggestion passed over his face.

Kaitlyn laughed lightheartedly.

"Don't worry, Sans. I don't think I could walk away from you or the others even if I wanted to."

He sighed in relief. "me and my big mouth."

They chuckled quietly.

Kaitlyn ached to ask him what he thought of her. It still bugged her that she wasn't quite sure of his feelings… which was odd considering that she wasn't even completely sure of her own feelings. Still, she really _really_ wished she could read his mind for once rather than just his emotions. It didn't help Sans was awfully good at hiding how he really felt, even from her.

 _I don't want to deal with this right now,_ she thought. _I need time to think and sort out some of my own thoughts before I just up and ask him how he feels. It wouldn't be fair to spring that on him without knowing how I really feel…_

And so, the two sat up on the roof, staring silently at the stars and sharing the occasional joke or old story with one another until Kaitlyn had fallen fast asleep and Sans, once again, carried her to bed. He covered her up and caressed her forehead gently over the place he had kissed her earlier.

He couldn't really say why he had felt the need to kiss her. Maybe as some sort of payback for her kissing his cheek the other day, though he didn't really feel like that was entirely true. He could tell she had been flustered by it and enjoyed teasing her and watching her blush every time he went around her for a while afterwards.

But there was something more to it… He hadn't been lying when he told her he trusted her, but it was almost a revelation to him when he had said it. He hadn't even realized how down his guard was around her until she had asked him about it. As much as it scared him, maybe he really was falling for her. His guard had been so down before, that he almost let _that_ little thought slip until Sophie came in. Though he wasn't really at the time, he was glad now that Sophie had interrupted. Falling in love had certainly never been in his plans, especially with a human. A monster-human relationship had never happened before, as far as he knew anyway, and was talked about almost like it would be a taboo of sorts.

However, standing there, watching Kaitlyn's serene face as she slept and stroking her soft, blond hair; the moon from outside the window casting just enough light on her for Sans to see the soft, ever-present blush on her cheeks… He had an insane thought.

Maybe, just maybe…

It wouldn't be so bad if he let himself fall in love.

Just this once.

* * *

 _ **Heya, the song used in this chapter is a real song called Wanderer's Lullaby and all credit goes to the wonderful Adriana Figueroa who wrote and sang the song. If you are able to, I highly recommend you check it out! She's an amazing singer and her channel is absolutely fabulous (as well as her other songs!)**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed! R &R if you feel so inclined :)**_


	17. Unspoken Words

The trip back into the city was as long as the trip out had been and held a certain melancholic atmosphere between everyone. It was obvious that they had all wanted to stay longer with Sophie and John.

The goodbyes were filled with tears as well as promises to visit soon, and before they hit the road, Sophie and John insisted on giving each of them a thank you gift for coming.

Kaitlyn wasn't really sure when the two had had time to go out and get gifts for everyone, but they tended to be miracle workers so it didn't really shock her too much.

Sophie gave Undyne some of her best recipes in a handmade cookbook, many of which were noodle based, recalling that Undyne had wanted to learn how to cook more than just spaghetti.

She gave Alphys a couple of seed packets and John gave her a few new gardening tools because Alphys had apparently really enjoyed gardening with Sophie.

For Papyrus, all the skeleton really wanted was to take Daisy home with them, but John said he wasn't quite ready to give her up yet. Instead, Sophie gave him a large container of her homemade spaghetti and John gave him a small dog stuffed animal that looked a lot like Daisy, telling Papyrus he could come and visit the real thing anytime. He was sad to say goodbye to everyone but was very grateful for the gifts.

Kaitlyn got Luce's old guitar and promised Sophie and John she'd be sure to cherish it. She thanked them for taking care of it for so long and not throwing it away as Kaitlyn had once suggested when she was at her worst. John told her she could keep it on the condition that she play it for them the next time she came back. Of course she had said yes.

Out of everyone's gift, Sans' was the most peculiar. John gave him a neck pillow so he could nap comfortably on the drive back, which was pretty normal, but Sophie gave him a letter. It was sealed and looked ready to send off, but she just handed it to him and told him not to open it until he was alone, back in the city. He swore he'd wait, even though he found the request to be odd.

The old woman could certainly be strange at times, but she was also the nicest human he'd ever met, besides Kaitlyn, so he would oblige her request. He was sure they would come back to Kaitlyn's hometown one day. Until then, he'd always remember everything they did together, and he'd always remember how nice Sophie and John had been. He hoped one day he would be able to repay their kindness.

He would miss them. He knew everyone else would too.

Sans glanced over at Kaitlyn. Her face was scrunched in concentration as she drove them down the long expanse of road. He had never seen anyone as beautiful. It's not like she was dressed up, quite the opposite in fact. She had thrown her hair up in a messy bun and was wearing sweats and a baggy t-shirt. But the way her eyes always seemed to dance with light and her mouth had a hint of a smile. Even her voice was getting to him lately.

He remembered when they'd first met, she always sounded timid and sad, like she was… heartbroken. Now, although she was still quiet, there was a strength and determination behind her words that stirred a similar strength within himself.

She was kind and gentle, but also fierce and unwavering when it came to protecting the ones she loved.

Love.

There was no doubt in Sans' mind of his feeling for the human anymore, but he didn't really know where to go from there. Human love always appeared to be so fickle when compared to the way monsters loved. A monster's composition was already primarily love and compassion, so finding someone you truly loved was a powerful occurrence for them. Marriage ceremonies were serious and bound monsters together for life and even after death. It was unheard of for monsters to split up. Even Tori and Asgore, who'd had their differences while in the Underground, eventually ended up together again and were still completely in love. There has never been record of a monster finding a new partner after their original partner died, though the remaining partner usually didn't last long after their spouse's death. Even casual dating, which also happened between monsters, was taken much more seriously than it seemed to be for humans.

Sans had to admit, he was scared. He was new to opening his heart up in front of anyone and was frightened that Kaitlyn would eventually find someone better than him. Not only that, but being in a monster-human relationship would take a lot of sacrifice on both ends. Sans knew he had issues, specifically trust and commitment issues. He had no idea how to be in a relationship, and the last thing he wanted was to hurt Kaitlyn by screwing up somehow. Not only that, there were other, more long-term problems they would have face as well. Sans would never be able to have a family with Kaitlyn; monsters and humans can't reproduce due to the different natures of their Souls. He'd most likely outlive Kaitlyn by many decades because of the slower aging process of monsters. Then there was also Papyrus… he couldn't just leave his brother, no matter how much he loved Kat. There were just too many complications.

And despite all of them, he still loved her. If he ever decided to trust anyone with his heart and Soul, it would be the girl sitting beside him.

Still, he wasn't sure how to bring it up to her. Or should he wait until she said something to him? He didn't even know if she felt the same way. Not knowing was the most nerve wracking.

"Are you okay, Sans?" Kaitlyn was looking over at him. Everyone else in the car perked up and leaned forward. He looked down and noticed that he'd been clutching the letter from Sophie and it was now slightly crumpled in his hands.

"oh, yeah i'm fine." He knew she could tell he wasn't. Damn her ability to know what he was feeling. At least she hadn't reached into his Soul to get a better read on his emotions. She would've been tossed around like a piece of paper in a storm they were so chaotic at the moment. He made his mental shield a little stronger as he smoothed out the letter.

"when do you think we'll be able to see them again?" Sans looked out the window and tried to change the subject to get the focus off of him.

"I don't know, but I'm sure it won't be too long. They might even come to the city to see us next time." Kaitlyn looked back to the road and smiled.

"OH I CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW THEM ALL OF THE BEST PLACES!" Papyrus was beaming in the back of the car.

"Well, it won't be immediate. I'm absolutely exhausted and need a little time to get back into my daily routine before any more craziness happens."

"C'mon Kaitlyn! Don't be such a wimp, just look your exhaustion in the eye and kick it's butt!" Undyne howled from behind. Alphys gave a cautious cheer of agreement.

"No seriously! This trip kicked _my_ butt and I feel emotionally and mentally whipped," she sighed, "But it was still an amazing trip, and I'm so glad you all went with me. You guys really helped me through some stuff. Seriously, thank you."

"I AM SO HAPPY WE COULD HELP KATE, EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT WE DID… IS THERE MAYBE SOMEWAY TO HELP YOU NOT BE TIRED?"

Kaitlyn chuckled. "Just keep being yourselves. Other than that, I think just a little bit of normalcy would also help. I need a vacation from the vacation. Guess it's the introvert in me rearing it's head."

Sans smiled but felt a little disappointed, which he tried to keep buried so Kaitlyn wouldn't notice. He was glad the trip helped her work through her past so she could move forward, but the short conversation and her confession of exhaustion also helped him arrive at his own conclusion.

Now simply wasn't the right time for him to talk to her about how he felt. If she wanted to rest from emotionally stressful situations, telling her he loved her was probably not the best way to go about it.

It was okay. Sans was patient. He could wait for her as long as she needed. Hell, he would wait for her for years if need be, though he hoped that wasn't the case. Even if she didn't love him, as long as he could keep her smiling and laughing, that was enough for him. His only goal for the time being was to keep her happy and to keep her safe.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Finally..." Kaitlyn sighed under her breath as she pulled onto Alphys' and Undyne's street. She sat up straighter to stretch her back out, checking her rear-view mirror as she did so. Everyone in the car had fallen fast asleep somewhere between Sophie's and home. She smiled softly at their sleeping faces, slowing to a stop in front of a familiar blue and red house.

Kaitlyn climbed out of the car and strolled back to the very back to wake Alphys and Undyne.

"Hey guys, time to wake up." She said softly, shaking Alphys' shoulder gently.

"Nghh... Oh! I-I'm so sorry! Were we asleep long?"

Kaitlyn shook her head. "Just long enough. We're at your house."

"Oh, Undyne, wake up. We're home." Alphys pressed a gentle kiss onto Undyne's forehead. Kaitlyn's mind flashed back to Sans kiss, but she shook the memory away immediately. After getting Undyne to wake up, the two monsters grabbed their bags and headed up the porch steps, waving goodbye to Kaitlyn as they made their way inside.

Kaitlyn sighed. The trip was officially over now.

"problem?"

Kaitlyn jumped slightly at the sound of Sans' voice. She looked over to see one of his eyes just barely opened, looking at her lazily.

"Not really, I just..." she sighed again, "I just had so much fun with you all and now it's over."

"nah."

Kaitlyn cocked her head, eyebrows drawn in confusion.

Sans closed his eye and leaned back. "the trip might be over, sure, but the fun will always be there so long as we're all together."

She looked back at the road and smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"i tend to be."

Kaitlyn rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Okay smartass, let's get you two home then." She pulled away and headed towards Sans' house next. It only took a few minutes before they reached their destination.

"wait here just a sec, 'kay?"

Kaitlyn nodded as Sans reached back to Papyrus. She though he was going to wake up his brother but instead, the two blinked out of existence together. She didn't have to wait long before Sans was suddenly sitting where he'd been only moments before.

"You can teleport other people, too?"

"yeah, takes a little more energy so i can't go as far, but it comes in handy when Paps falls asleep in weird places."

She nodded. "I see." Kaitlyn got out and began unloading most of the remaining luggage from the back along with Sans. After lifting out the last of the bags, she asked Sans if he needed help getting inside.

"i'll be fine," he replied, lifting the magic into the air with his blue magic.

"Okay, I need to go home and drop my bags off so I can return the car."

"oh yeah, forgot it was a rental."

"Yep, luckily I live pretty close to the rental place so I should be able to walk home after."

Sans looked up to the sky. The sun was beginning to sink lower beyond the horizon.

"listen, why don't you just leave your bags here for the night and we can go drop the car off together. that way i can just teleport us back and you don't have to walk home alone at night."

"I'd still have to walk home from here to my place. Not to mention I'd have my bags, and it's a lot farther distance than-"

"that's why you'd just stay here for tonight. Paps and i can take you home in the morning."

"Are you sure that's okay? I don't want to impose and you're probably sick of seeing me so much by now." She laughed but Sans looked at her solemnly.

"i'd never get sick of seeing you."

Kaitlyn blinked, surprised to see him so serious. She shrugged and replied, "okay, let's go then. I'd love it if I could stay with you." She blushed lightly. "A-and Papyrus too, of course." She laughed nervously, Sans joining in this time.

They dropped the car off and were back at Sans' house shortly after. The entire group at grabbed food on the way back from Sophie's, so dinner had already been taken care of. Papyrus was still fast asleep upstairs in his room, and Sans and Kaitlyn had settled into the couch downstairs to watch a movie before going to bed themselves. Everything felt so normal, despite all that had happened the last few days. Sans felt particularly at ease and, as the movie ended and the credits rolled, Kaitlyn walked over to the hallway closet to grab an extra blanket for the couch. She stooped and searched her bag until she found what she was looking for, pulling out her pillow.

"what are you doing?" Sans questioned as she laid the blanket out.

"Getting my bed ready, duh." She laughed and threw the pillow at him.

"no, no, you're getting _my_ bed ready i'm afraid, Kat."

She gave a look of confusion which made Sans laugh and throw the pillow back at her.

"guests get a real bed. stay in my room tonight. i'll take the couch."

"It's okay Sans, I don't mind-"

"sleeping in my room." He finished for her.

She smiled and mustered the sassiest voice she could. "Guests get a bed, hm? As I recall, last time I stayed here, I got the couch. What did that make me back then?"

Sans laughed, remembering the first time she'd stayed over. He hardly knew anything about her back then. It felt like it'd been years since, though it'd only happened last winter. Seven months ago. Funny how it had only taken that long for his life to change. Kaitlyn's too. He'd watched her change before him just as she'd watched him.

"you were a stranger back then, i guess."

"Okay, in that case, what am I now?"

 _my life. my love. my reason. my happiness._

 _mine._

It was an innocent question but the words had a million implications behind them for Sans. He wasn't sure if she'd meant for it to, so rather than saying what he desperately wanted to, he shrugged and simply replied, "a friend."

She smiled. "A friend, huh?" It shouldn't have, but the word stung Kaitlyn.

 _I must just be tired._ She thought.

"I'm glad." She nodded, trying to convince herself more than Sans. She tossed her pillow to him once more. "Keep it," she said. "Just for tonight since you insist on staying down here." He just smiled as she left to climb up the stairs to his bed. She stopped at the top and turned to face Sans. "Goodnight, Sans."

"g'night Kat. sleep well."

And so, the two parted for bed, each wishing they could say so much more to the other.

Sans settled into the pillow and blanket on the couch. It wasn't as comfy as his bed, but the pillow carried Kaitlyn's scent. He snuggled into it, trying to let himself drift off into his dreams. Upstairs, Kaitlyn slipped out of her jeans and into Sans' bed. She'd left her pajamas downstairs and didn't want to walk back down.

 _Smells like him._ She inhaled deeply then froze. _God, I'm such a creep..._ She laid on her back and stared up at the ceiling. She knew she was exhausted from the trip but being in Sans' bed unnerved her for some reason. Her mind wondered to Sans as she laid awake. She briefly imagined him laying beside her for a moment and blushed, slapping her cheeks.

 _I really AM a creep!_ She damned her own mind and curled onto her side, finally drifting off into sleep. Though she could've sworn she felt a hand on her face and soft kisses pressed onto her hand and face, she'd only remember it as a sweet dream the next day.

But Sans would never forget.

* * *

 _ **Sorry for the shorter chapter! I promise the next one is much longer. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this one! Oh, and I know this and the next two chapters are technically reposts, but because I've made so many changes to them, I've decided to take down the "Re:" and classify them as new chapters. Thank you for staying patient with me while I figured out what kind of story I wanted this to be and evolve into if you are one of the original followers of the first version of the story. If you are new and don't know what I'm talking about, welcome and thank you for reading as well! Once this arc is done (it is coming up very quick), I'll go back and remove all of the "Re:"'s.  
**_

 _ **Thank you for reading and please leave any feedback in the reviews~**_


	18. It's Raining Somewhere

_*****Trigger Warning: Graphic violence, strong language and sensitive topics ahead! Please read with caution. I will put another warning before it gets too graphic (you will be able to skip the section and still understand what's going on in the story).**_

The weeks seemed to fly by, but a lot happened in the short amount of time since everyone had been back. Kaitlyn and Undyne grew closer and became good friends, for one. She started going to Undyne's and Papyrus' cooking lessons and eventually began teaching both of them how to make various recipes from Undyne's cookbook that Sophie had given her. Kaitlyn even became Undyne's and Alphys' biggest relationship cheerleader and would give them both advice or words of encouragement anytime their relationship hit a rough patch. She also encouraged Undyne to join the MPD, Monster Protection Department, which eventually led to Undyne becoming a head official.

Kaitlyn respectfully and graciously left Grillby's soon after returning home, going full time in Alphys' lab, but gave him her number before she left, promising she'd be there if they ever needed an extra hand. She still went and visited Grilby's a lot, even going with Sans or Papyrus sometimes. Grillby said she was welcome anytime and to call him if she ever needed help.

She spent a lot more time around the lab, researching and running tests on her own Soul so she could determine what all she could do. Sans spent more and more time around her, helping her with her research and vice versa. She stilled asked him occasionally if he wanted to talk to Gaster and would tell him about a few of the conversations they would have. It kind of annoyed him at first, but he also sort of liked listening to her tell him what they would talk about. He also just liked talking to her in general, not that he'd tell her that. If talking to Kaitlyn meant listening about Gaster, he could deal.

Gaster certainly _sounded_ like he'd changed, but that didn't mean Sans was ready to see him.

Everything was going well except for one tiny issue. A new group had formed the last few weeks. They called themselves the 'Monster Eradication Organization' or the MEO for short. They had started out a a kind of underground group of common thugs but were beginning to grow. It terrified Kaitlyn and her friends. They were expanding and growing bolder with each passing day, terrorizing and hurting monsters and people alike. Anyone who didn't support their 'cause' was a possible target. Currently, they only moved around at night, but the thought of them gaining enough ground to go after monsters during the day sent shivers down Kaitlyn's spine.

She frowned at the most recent headline in the news report. "MEO: A City Divided" was plastered on the front page. It was true that while half the city disagreed with the MEO and wanted to help put a stop to their hate and violence, the other half wanted to rally behind them. Even if they weren't members or outright supporters, many claimed that the monsters didn't belong Aboveground and were hurting human employment rates as well as over population. Most claims were unsupported by any real numbers or facts and all of them were unjust in Kaitlyn's eyes. It made her sad to think that so many people would be against monsters without actually attempting to understand or sympathize with them.

She sighed and threw the paper into the recycling bin just as Sans strolled into the office.

"Has there been any news about the MEO recently?" She asked. He and Kaitlyn had been doing as much recon on their own of the group as they could to ensure the safety of their friends.

"no, they haven't moved around much lately but that makes me even more nervous… it's like they're planning something big. i don't like it." Sans was just as terrified as she was, though not for himself. He was mainly worried about Papyrus. His brother was too trusting of others and was the most likely to run into a bad situation. He had been telling his brother lately to either stay home or having him come to work with Sans.

What scared Sans the most was that Papyrus didn't have a full grasp of the situation. He couldn't understand how anybody could go out and purposefully hurt another living being with no real reasoning behind doing so. Because of his lack of comprehension about the MEO, Papyrus didn't see any reason to fear them, and with no reason to fear them, he would just go about as he always had. This put him at risk for running right into a dangerous situation.

Sans sighed, frustrated. He loved his brother to bits, but he wished there was some way to make Paps understand. The only problem was that Papyrus' innocent view of humans and monsters was what made him, him. It reminded Sans of the past. The dark days spent in a cage with no one but Papyrus. Even back then, Papyrus couldn't understand. Maybe that was why Sans was so skeptical. He had enough doubt and pessimism for the both of them...

"I'm worried…" Kaitlyn's voice snapped him out of a past he thought had been long forgotten. "They've already killed or seriously injured dozens of monsters and human sympathizers, but they still somehow manage to stay under the radar. I just don't get it."

"maybe some of the local authorities are members."

Kaitlyn nodded thoughtfully. It wouldn't be unheard of for there to be crooked police or politicians who were secretly providing support to a group like the MEO.

"That's a possibility, but even so, someone should have picked up a clue on their whereabouts by now, at least in the MPD. I should go out and walk around tonight; see if I can spot anything weird."

This was another thing that worried Sans. He still hadn't said a word to Kaitlyn about his feelings, but her not knowing didn't make them any less powerful. He didn't want to lose her, and the MEO was cruel and unpredictable. In their eyes, anyone who agreed with monsters, knew monsters, or was even just tolerant of monsters was a sympathizer and were targets for harassment or worse. For being friends and coworkers with any monsters... well, there was no doubt in his mind they'd kill her for that alone.

"i don't know Kat. it seems risky, especially alone."

"But I'm more likely to be attacked if you come with me, so it makes more sense to go alone."

"i know, _that's_ why you should just stay home. not going out at all makes the most sense to me."

"Sans, we need to figure out what they're up to. I think know where they usually meet at night! I saw them and got away a few days ago! I'm the only one who can-"

"you went out alone? at night? why didn't you tell me, Kat?" He looked angry but sounded pained.

 _Crap_. She flinched at the hurt look in his eyes.

She hadn't meant to let that slip out.

Sans shook his head vehemently. "no, absolutely no way you're going out again. we can figure it out together if we just stay patient."

"Look Sans, I'm sorry I didn't tell you I went out… but we can't just sit around and do nothing. They must be planning something big if they're getting bold enough to meet in groups now… I just don't know what it is yet exactly. But if I can go and find out now, maybe it can be stopped!"

" _no_ , Kaitlyn. any midnight excursions you've been taking need to stop."

Kaitlyn could sense his worry and frustration. He obviously hated staying put and being unable to do anything. Even now, monsters were being pushed from their homes and forced to move in an effort to stay alive and safe. Sans and the others didn't have that luxury. Undyne was an official now in the Monster Protection Department, which meant that she and Alphys were stuck here. And if Alphys was stuck here, that meant her lab along with Sans and Kaitlyn were also stuck here, and there was no way Papyrus would leave town without his brother or friends.

She crossed her arms and grunted, looking down. "...Fine."

Even as she said it, Sans knew there was a good chance she didn't really intend on staying put. His worry grew but he forced the feelings down, trying instead to focus on his research. He knew nothing he said would stop her, but he could at least go check on her throughout the night to ensure she didn't do anything stupid or dangerous.

The day went on and the two stayed mostly to themselves. Kaitlyn was still frustrated at Sans for telling her she couldn't go and treating her like a helpless child, and Sans was upset that Kaitlyn had gone out without him and put herself in danger in the first place. He tried to keep her busy by giving her some extra work, though it was an obvious attempt at getting her mind off of the MEO or making her too tired to try going out.

Kaitlyn looked at her watch after hours of drowning herself in work. It was already almost 8:00pm. She groaned and silently cursed Sans for giving her so much extra work.

"here." A sandwich was placed in front of her. She unwrapped it and began tearing into it.

 _Damn him… This is delicious._ She hadn't realized how hungry she'd been and she was extremely grateful for the food, unfortunately she wasn't really in the mood to be gracious.

"look, Kat… i… i'm sorry if i upset you earlier, i'm just… concerned for you is all."

She still refused look up.

Sans sighed. "i don't want you to get hurt. i've watched everyone i love be hurt before, and i don't want that for you."

Kaitlyn swallowed, a small knot had formed in her throat. She hated fighting, and fighting with Sans had proven to be extra challenging and painful. She could tell it was painful for him too, and it wasn't like she didn't understand _why_ he got upset. She would probably be upset too if someone she cared for was doing something reckless… even if she was still too stubborn to admit she'd been wrong.

She glanced up at him only to feel a wave of his distress and her heart ached. She felt his emotions and took a few steadying breaths before she spoke.

"I'm sorry too…"

He looked over to her, surprised at the sudden apology.

"I know I can be headstrong and… difficult, but I appreciate your concern. If it makes you feel better, I promise I won't do anything I'll regret later. I won't do anything stupid."

"thanks, Kat." Sans smiled, relieved. "we should probably head out soon. don't worry about finishing that up tonight. Alphys left a while ago."

"Yeah, okay." Kaitlyn packed away her paperwork and research before grabbing her keys to head home.

"would you mind giving me a lift?"

Her eyebrows raised. "You're not teleporting home tonight?"

"nah, i'm beat. you know i'm not far and it's just this once… please?"

She sensed he was only trying to waste more time but complied anyway. "C'mon, lazybones. It'll be my thank you for dinner."

The drive was pretty quiet. Nothing but soft music from the radio and Kaitlyn's even softer humming. They exchanged pleasantries and said their goodbyes after Sans exited the car. Before shutting the door, he decided to make one more last-ditch effort to make sure she stayed away from anything dangerous.

"why don't you stay with me and Paps tonight? it's been a while and he'd really love it if you stayed. you could have my bed again."

"I really shouldn't, I don't have anything with me and it's already so late." She smiled apologetically. She could still feel his concern.

"dang, and i even picked up my socks this morning." His smile look forlorn and tired. "maybe next time then, huh?" He shut the door and slowly trudged up to his house

"Sans," she called out through her open window and he turned. "I keep my promises. I don't intend on making this one be the first I break either!"

He smiled, knowing she was referring to her promise not to do anything reckless or something she'd regret. He turned again and went inside as she drove away.

Even still, he couldn't shake the fact that she might do something _he'd_ regret her doing...

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kaitlyn's mind whirled as she drove up to her apartment.

 _How can I stay put when Undyne and other people and monsters alike are risking their lives to hunt down the MEO?_ She slammed the door to her car shut and ran inside. _I'll find a way to help… I have to!_

She dug through her clothes and quickly changed into dark clothing. She also slipped on a large black hoodie and kept her phone, some mace and a small taser hidden in the front pocket. She also had her magic, but if things went the way she thought they would, she wouldn't be able to use it effectively.

She was nervous but also determined. As she anxiously paced about and prepared for the night, she felt a presence from beside her. She didn't even have to look to see who it was.

"Gaster." She had been waiting for him to come.

 _You don't have to do this._

"With all respect, yes I do. The MEO are up to something and I need to find out before it's too late."

 _What about your promise to Sans? Didn't you tell him you wouldn't do anything reckless?_

"And I won't. I'll be very careful and I don't plan on confronting any of them."

 _What about not doing anything stupid? That you regret?_

"Helping my friends isn't stupid and I'll never regret trying to protect the ones I love." She pulled her hair back, resolution echoed in her voice and sparkled in her eyes.

 _It's too dangerous! What if you get caught or hurt? I can't do anything to help! I'm still not fully corporeal. It takes all of my energy to even touch something from this world. If you are hurt, I can do next to nothing._

"I'm not asking you to come."

 _I'm begging you Kaitlyn, don't go. I have a terrible feeling about this._

She turned to look at him.

"I'm prepared Gaster. I'll be fine."

 _Are you prepared for the possible consequences?!_

"What did you think I was saying I was prepared for?" Her hands shook slightly.

Why was everyone treating her like she was defenseless? Of course she knew it would be dangerous, but she was ready to do anything to help her friends. That's not to say she wasn't unafraid. She was terrified of the MEO. They were murderers and thieves and didn't care who they hurt, but it scared her more to think about what might happen if she didn't at least _try_ to find and stop them. The worst case scenarios were the only things she could prepare herself for.

 _But are the others prepared for what could befall you? Are the actions you're considering fair to them?_

Her friends flashed through her mind. It would tear them apart if the unthinkable happened to her, but if it did, perhaps it would finally drive them to the decision to leave town. That was her only hope if she was caught.

"Maybe they aren't," Kaitlyn grabbed some paper and began scribbling a note for her friends if she was captured or worse. "But I have faith that they'll make the right choice if I die." She shivered at the thought.

 _And I am just to stay here and await your return? I cannot let you go._

"It's not your choice to make."

 _What am I to do if I let you die?_ Kaitlyn had never seen Gaster show any emotion other than sorrow or more recently, happy contentedness, but now as she faced him, she saw tears slipping down his face. It was… different than his usual sadness.

 _How can I protect you if you will not let me?_

"Gaster…"

 _How can I save you?_ He looked down, his eyes pleading for the girl to stay.

She hugged him to her. "Can't you see? I'm already saved. Even if I lose my life, I will die with no regrets. You, Sans, Papyrus, everyone. You all saved me from my past. I want to at least try to protect yours and their futures. Now, I don't plan on getting caught, but if I do I want you to go to Sans and give him this note. If I'm gone, he's the only one who can bring you back, and you're the only one who can tell him what happened and..." She hesitated for a moment. "...tell him that no matter what, he can't blame himself for anything that happens to me."

 _He will not ever bring me back if he knew I let you go_. His grip around her tightened, but only enough to keep her from moving. _I'll tell Sans myself before I let you do this. I can't just let you leave Kaitlyn._

"I know… And I'm so sorry."

Gaster looked confused for a moment before Kaitlyn squeezed his torso slightly and suddenly shoved her magic into Gaster, taking hold of his Soul. Even if he wasn't fully in this world, she didn't think he could get away if she had his Soul in her grasp. She knew this was the only way, but she still flinched as he cried out in pain and attempted to push her away. She held tighter.

"This is a trick Alphys showed me. Apparently, monsters and magicians can trap Souls for a short period of time if the magic is strong enough. I wasn't sure if my magic could beat yours, but I've been practicing for weeks now. I'm sure this will hold you at least until I'm far enough away. I told Sans in the note what I did and he'll be able to sense my magic on you. He knows what it feels like by now." She could feel her limbs grow weak but pushed herself forward. She knew she wouldn't be able to rely on her magic with the MEO if she was going to have Gaster stay out of harm's way and away from Sans.

Gaster struggled against Kaitlyn, but without his real body and with her magic griping his Soul, he was too weak. Dark blue chains wrapped around his Soul and branched out of his body and into the ground.

He sunk to the floor in defeat, unable to move.

 _Please… don't go…_ He huffed, still crying.

Kaitlyn closed her eyes, holding back her own tears. She pressed a light kiss on one of the cracks in his head and placed one more bind over his mouth, just in case Sans decided to come play look out for her later.

"I'm sorry." She choked out before turning and running out the door.

Gaster could do nothing but struggle and watch as the door swung shut and the pitch black night swallowed her silhouette.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kaitlyn's legs burned as she raced for the MEO meeting point. She wasn't sure how long her spell on Gaster would last and she couldn't risk taking it slow and having him go after her, or worse: telling Sans. She'd put everything she had into the binding spell to keep him from doing so.

She checked her phone. Just after ten.

 _Good, there's no way Sans was at the apartment when I left._ She knew he would probably head over after putting Papyrus to bed just to make sure she stayed put. She left with enough time to spare to ensure he wouldn't see her leaving. She also couldn't risk taking her car, so she had to leave early enough for her to make it on foot.

She had seen what looked like a bunch of MEO members meeting up near her favorite park a few days ago. They were hidden behind the line of trees just beyond the pond, where a small, hidden alcove laid.

No one really went to the pond after nightfall due to the lack of lighting, but it was during a late-night walk that Kaitlyn had seen someone slip beyond the trees. She had kept herself hidden until someone near the front began speaking about the recent death of a monster being a success and news of a big opportunity coming up. It was at that point she slipped away and ran home, absolutely pale with fright.

Of course she'd considered telling Sans or Undyne, but she knew that if anyone could spy on the group and get away with it, it'd be another human. It had to be her.

She hoped against all odds that she wouldn't be caught, and that this endeavor would be worth what she did to Gaster and the risk.

 _I hope he can forgive me if I make it…_ She thought, her heavy breathing hitched for a moment at the thought of losing him. Whether he would ever be able to fully come back or not, she couldn't deny that Gaster had become very important to her. He had almost been like a father to her since she met him, encouraging her and comforting her. Trying to protect her. _And look at how I've repaid him…_ She shook the thoughts away.

 _I can't think about that right now! I have to stay focused._ Kaitlyn concentrated on the objective before her and sprinted forward just a little faster.

As she approached the pond, she slowed down to a leisurely walk, trying to catch her breath. She checked her phone again. Nearly 10:15. She had about fifteen more minutes until the meeting actually started.

Kaitlyn walked forward and looked for a tree she could climb and hide in until the meeting was over. She sent a quick prayer to any deity that might be listening that she wouldn't be found and that Sans and Gaster would stay away. The risk wasn't worth anything if any group members saw one of her friends and set a target on them… She'd never forgive herself if her friends were hurt because of her. She refused to let that happen.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sans looked over to his clock. Almost ten o'clock.

Of course he trusted Kaitlyn and believed she'd keep her promise. But having no regrets didn't mean she wasn't going to do something stupid. Her devotion to her friends and strong will were some of his favorite things about her, but he couldn't let her endanger herself. Whether she actually planned on staying home tonight or not, he'd keep an eye on her all night if it was necessary to keep her safe.

He glanced at the clock again. 10:05.

He needed to leave soon, but he wanted Papyrus to be in bed before leaving. He couldn't risk his brother following him. He had actually planned on teleporting to Kaitlyn's around 9:45, just to make sure she wouldn't try anything. Unfortunately, dinner had run late due to his late work day and Papyrus refused to go to bed without watching at least one episode of Mettaton's newest drama.

He sighed. _cool it, Sans. she's probably in bed by now and completely fine._

10:12.

He had planned everything out, but he still felt unease creep into the back of his mind. Maybe he should put Papyrus to bed now so he could go ahead and leave… But what if Papyrus suspected something? He had an uncanny ability to know exactly when something was wrong, and there was no way Sans was going to allow Papyrus to leave with him.

He looked out the window of his bedroom. It was pitch black and overcast. Any source of light from the moon and stars was blocked by the thick clouds that hung ominously low in the sky.

 _what if it rains? even if she doesn't get caught, she could get sick..._ Sans was making himself sick with worry. His mind played out any and every possible bad situation that could happen.

 _what if she's already gone?_

10:23.

He heard the low rumble of thunder and saw a bright flash of lightning in the direction of Kaitlyn's apartment.

 _okay, that's it._ Sans jumped up and moved quickly downstairs where his brother sat on the couch, watching the MTT special.

"hey Paps, it's, uh, time for bed."

"AWW, BUT MY SHOW ISN'T OVER YET!" Papyrus looked at the clock on the wall. "BROTHER, IT'S ONLY 10:24! MY SHOW STILL HAS SIX MINUTES!"

Sans hit the record button on the TV.

"now you have something to look forward to in the morning. c'mon Pap, i'm tired and there's a storm coming. we should go ahead and go to sleep before it hits."

"Well, I suppose you're right," Papyrus sighed, using a slightly quieter voice. He gathered his things and headed upstairs.

"i'm gonna go ahead and hit the sack, 'kay?"

"No story tonight?"

 _damn._ Sans had forgotten about their nightly routine. His thoughts were too consumed with panic.

"uh, no Paps, not tonight. sorry bro, but i'll make up for it and read you two stories tomorrow night, alright?"

"Okay!" Papyrus beamed before heading into his room and shutting the door.

Sans sighed. He walked quickly back to his room before softly shutting his own door and hearing the soft click of the lock. Within a few seconds, Sans winked out of existence and stood just outside of Kaitlyn's apartment.

He paced outside. 10:29. Her lights were still on which meant she was more than likely still awake and inside her apartment. What was strange was the weird movement coming from said apartment. The curtains were shut but Sans could definitely see a shadow that would move every now and then. The really strange part was the way it moved.

Sans was expecting Kaitlyn to be running around, getting ready to leave, not sitting around and… what the hell was she doing? The movement would twist every so often and seemed to be sitting or kneeling on the floor. It looked like she would get up, sit back down, twist, sigh, then get up again. Was she just agonizing over whether or not she should leave?

No, there was no doubt in the resolve Sans had seen in her eyes earlier that day.

He paced faster, his thoughts racing with scenarios. He leaned against the wall of the building and exhaled slowly.

 _just breathe. she's still here and she doesn't look like she's getting ready to leave anytime soon. everything's alright._ Sans slowed his heart rate slightly and slid down the wall to a sitting position, looking up to her window once more.

"huh, odd…" he hadn't noticed before, but a soft blue glow was cast against the curtain.

 _is she practicing her magic...? maybe she really is planning on just staying home tonight._ He continued to watch the shadow move around faintly behind the curtains, still glowing a dark hue of blue.

He sighed. _this is silly. i should have trusted her… maybe i should go up and apologize..._

He didn't want to knock and make her mad that he had suspected she would leave if that wasn't really her intent, but he felt a little bad about coming here to watch her as if she was a prisoner. It was already 11:00 and she hadn't made a move to leave. He walked a little closer to her door and lifted his hand to knock. He stopped midway and wondered if maybe she was writing music or playing an instrument and that was why she was moving around like earlier. But then, why the magic? He leaned in to listen.

He didn't hear anything for a while and was about to walk away, not wanting to disturb her and thinking he could apologize for his behavior tomorrow. He was fully convinced she had taken his advice to stay home to heart.

Until he heard a faint groan from inside.

He froze for a moment.

 _that did_ not _sound like Kaitlyn._

Another groan with a large heaving sound.

What if it was her and she was hurt?

 _oh god, please no._ Sans began to shake as he reached for the doorknob, surprised and even more frightened to find it unlocked. She _never_ left her door unlocked.

What he found just inside was even more shocking: Gaster, wreathing on the floor of Kaitlyn's apartment, with glowing chains wrapped tightly around his Soul.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kaitlyn was well hidden above the gathering members of the MEO by the time the meeting had begun. A large man near the front of the gathering group hushed the crowd and called for everyone's attention.

She focused on the man and shivered. His Soul was clouded with dark emotions. Hate and bloodlust swirled around him. They felt heavy and suffocating. Kaitlyn's mind flashed to her very first dream of Gaster, when the evil child-like _thing_ had appeared. The feelings were similar but this man still didn't compare to the malevolence the child from her dream had emitted.

She leaned in slightly as the man began to speak.

"Good evening everyone. I see a few new faces, so I would like to call this meeting to order by first telling everyone here why our organization exists. First off, please understand that this organization is a _family_ , joined together by the bond of our shared humanity and the hope and pride in that humanity. The framework for our family is built on a mutual trust we hold for one another and so we ask that anything discussed here is kept secret from anyone not currently present. If this mutual trust is broken or called into question there will be serious... _consequences_." His voice ground out the last word with a quiet ferocity that made everyone quiver.

Kaitlyn shuddered and briefly considered sneaking away before it was too late but then shook her head firmly. She _had_ to tell her friends what they were planning, no matter what. With her decision now cemented into her mind, she whipped her phone out and began recording a video, triple checking the flash was off before hitting record. Hopefully this way, even if she was caught, her friends would be able to find the video and figure out what the MEO was planning.

Below her, the rough voice continued.

"Next, I want to talk about why we do what we do. By now, it is no secret what we stand for, but many people are disillusioned as to the true reason."

"Let me be clear: we are humanity. We have been the sole rulers over this planet and all of it's inhabitants since before history was written into stone. We are proud, and we have survived this many millennia by _keeping_ our power and crushing any who would challenge our authority. The simple existence of these _monsters_ threatens to push us from our natural place at the top!"

"Some believe monsters are 'peaceful' beings, but they do _not_ fool us. _We_ know the truth. They are hiding their power in order to overthrow us! This power, this _magic_ , gives them the ability to rip the very Soul from our bodies!"

Some in the crowd gasped while others gave terrible shouts of 'death to monsters' and other awful expletives.

The man held out his hands before him, calming the crowd.

"Yes, yes, I know. Tragic. But this is the very reason for our noble group's existence. If we want to stop a monster uprising against humanity, we must be the first to rise up! They have forced our hand and we _must_ act first! We must destroy them and any of their sympathizers before they have the opportunity to destroy us. There are humans, sadly, weak enough to fall under the monsters' charms. They too, must die alongside the monster scum. The banality of evil has crept into their minds and poisoned their thoughts. They are _beyond_ help." He wiped an invisible tear from his check, though Kaitlyn could tell there was no real remorse behind his words.

She felt ill. The hatred had spread like wildfire among the people below her as they gave more shouts against monsters. Their dark emotions swirled and she had to focus on her breathing for a few moments to keep from being sick.

"Now, we have already accomplished much. We have already moved and grown in several large cities, such as this one. Our family is more expansive than anyone currently knows. We even have some undercover government officials on our side, aiding in keeping our more... illicit activities under the radar. Yet I assure you all that everything we do is for the cause, that is why these officials, these pillars of law and justice, have seen fit to join us and aid in our resistance!" More cheers rang throughout the crowd as the man continued.

"We've made substantial progress in eliminating and driving the monsters away, however there are still some stubborn ones who refuse to leave. The MPD is a constant source of angst for our group, but we will deal with them when the time comes. First, our great leader, who could not make it tonight, suggests we begin by sending the MPD a nice little _warning_ of sorts."

"We have learned that one particular monster, an owner of a vile monster restaurant, could be harboring and protecting some monsters. We will break all monsters' will and burn him and all of the fugitives he's hiding down along with his filthy restaurant."

Kaitlyn was frozen in the tree above. She knew exactly who he was talking about.

 _Grillby_.

He had been taking in monsters who were driven from their homes and keeping them in the back of his restaurant. The Grillby's pub doubled as both his workplace and his home, the back area beyond a hidden door led to his house as well as any monsters that requested a sanctuary. Kaitlyn and Sans had even kept a few at their own places when Grillby didn't have enough room. They never stayed long. The monsters were only waiting until they found a new home in another area or city. Some were the family members to those who the MEO had already killed and just needed a place to rest safely.

 _These people are planning to kill Grillby and the families staying with him!_

Kaitlyn had to tell Sans.

She forced herself to continue recording the video, trying to block out some of the terrible and overwhelming emotions growing below her. Her head pounded and she felt like she was about to pass out, but she kept her breaths steady and her mind clear. She glanced at the time. 10:59. It had only been about thirty minutes since the meeting started, but Kaitlyn hoped it would be over soon. She shook with anticipation as rain began to fall.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sans and Gaster were frozen for a few moments, staring at one another with open mouths and wide eyes. Sans was shaking uncontrollably, and, while he would've like to say it was from rage, he knew it was from fear.

He had been terrified of this moment. He had told Kaitlyn that he didn't want to see Gaster because he didn't know if he could forgive him, but standing before the monster now, Sans knew the undeniable truth of why he refused to face him.

He was petrified.

He was scared of seeing the one who'd made him afraid to build relationships with anyone besides Papyrus. Scared of seeing the monster who had caused more pain for Sans than any human, even Chara, had. Scared for Papyrus. Scared for himself. Scared for his friends.

He hated himself for his fear. It froze him, consumed him, made him forget….

Why was he here again? Where was he? Why had he come to a place that would house such an awful monster?

 _-ans…_

He heard someone calling his name.

 _Sans_.

Who was that? It didn't sound like it was spoken aloud, yet it didn't feel like it came from his own mind either.

 _Sans!_

This must be a cruel joke. What had he come here for?

 _Sans! You must move! Kaitlyn is in danger!_

Kaitlyn? Who…?

Soft blond hair and gentle blue eyes flashed through Sans' mind.

Kaitlyn! He had come here to stop her!

"where is she?" He tried to speak firmly but his voice felt small and frail.

 _She went to the MEO meeting. I'm not sure where it is exactly… she wouldn't say. You must hurry! I cannot move. She has chained my Soul. The bind over my voice is gone but I believe her magic is stronger than she knows. I won't be able to move for a while longer. You must go!_

Sans immediately turned around and began to shut the door. Just before he did, he turned and faced Gaster once more.

"thank you." It came out quietly but Gaster understood and nodded, insisting that Sans hurry once more, but Sans was gone before Gaster could finish.

He had no idea where to look and cursed himself for not asking her more about where she'd seen the MEO meet when he'd had the chance to earlier.

 _damn it! why did i have to get mad at her? i'm an_ _idiot._ He grabbed his phone from his pocket and began dialing.

He teleported to every alleyway and rough areas of town he could remember. He knew he couldn't keep teleporting forever. He had to find her, fast.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 ** _(A/N: I know I never do this, but this is another warning that this next section of the story is rough. PLEASE, do not read it if you have any sensitivities to language, violence or sexual aggression. This will be the only chapter like this and I will insert another A/N when it is safe to read again so you can skip it if you want.)_**

The meeting was over and people were beginning to disperse. Kaitlyn gave a quiet sigh of relief. She had succeeded! She hadn't been caught!

She leaned back on the tree, waiting for everyone below her to leave. She decided to hold off on sending Sans the video until she got home. The rain was in full force now and as Kaitlyn went to put her phone back in her pocket, the device lit up and began vibrating. Startled and soaking wet from the rain, Kaitlyn jumped and the phone slipped between her fingers.

She stopped breathing. There were only five people left, but one had noticed the bright screen flash as it fell.

He walked over to the place it had fallen, calling his buddies over to see. One picked up the phone and another looked up into the tree, spotting Kaitlyn. They began yelling for her to come down, demanding she tell them what she was doing and threatening her if she refused.

Kaitlyn could hardly hear. She was frozen with fear.

 _What should I do?_ She thought frantically.

"I-I just wanted to listen to the meeting! I want to become a member!" She hated lying and was terrible at it but hoped she sounded convincing enough to the men.

"Then who is Sans and why is he calling you?" One of them snickered in response, holding her phone. "Looks to me like you're a monster sympathizer!"

"W-wait!" She called out as they began yelling at her to come down.

"I've seen her before! Just today I saw her driving around with a monster in her car!" Another growled.

"Stop, please!" She kicked out as one of the men jumped and reached up to grab her. He tsked as her foot grazed his hand.

"I'm gonna get you for that, little bitch." He climbed up the trunk and reached out. Kaitlyn tried to move away but lost her balance and fell backwards from the limb she'd been perched on.

She heard a sickening crunch as her back and an arm hit the ground, and she could see black spots clouding her vision as she gasped for air.

"Hey, I've seen this one too! This one _works_ for monsters. Hangs around the bastards all the fuckin' time." One of the figures standing over her spat.

"What should we do to her?" Another smiled, his eyes had a murderous intent behind them.

"Kill 'er, obviously." One with a scraggly beard and gruff voice responded.

"I dunno, this one's pretty cute," the one who'd grabbed at her jumped from the tree trunk as he spoke. She could feel his eyes roam her body and she shivered in fear and disgust.

"You're right, for once. Why don't we have some fun before killin' her then?" Another chimed in, bending over her. He placed a hand roughly on her left thigh. Kaitlyn almost wretched and planted her foot firmly into his face before he could go any further.

She moaned in agony. The fall had definitely messed up her back and one of her arms, but it was worth it to hear the dirty creep spit out a couple of teeth.

"You little bitch!" He screeched, and all at once, the five men were on her.

Some of them tore at her clothes while others simply hit, kicked, and spat on her, calling her any and all kinds of vulgar names. Adrenaline pumped through her body and kept for from passing out. She bit, clawed, punched, kicked, and lashed out in any way she could to defend herself.

Their anger, lust, hate and terrible joy at her cries suffocated her. She screamed and called for help, though she knew there wouldn't be anyone but other members out by the pond this late. She tried to use her magic but had nothing left to give. She yelped as one grabbed her hair and pulled.

"Shut up, whore!" Another yelled and gave her a swift kick to her stomach while another kicked at her head.

Kaitlyn saw stars dancing before her. Her eye was definitely starting to swell shut. She could hardly see anything but, from the corner of her good eye, she saw her phone laying only a couple of feet away. It was still vibrating frantically, and she saw Sans' name flashing across the screen. She gathered the strength she had left and lunged toward it. Miraculously, she reached it and answered only getting out one word before the phone was kicked away.

"Park…" Her voice scratched and she only hoped he had heard and understood.

"What do ya think you're doin'?" One of the men grabbed her by her hair again and pulled her back. He took the phone and threw it beneath another tree. They positioned her on her knees with one of them on either side of her, the one before her continued to yank her hair harshly. She cried out and tried to reach for her pepper spray or taser only to find they were both missing from her pocket, on the ground where she had fallen from the tree. Unfortunately, both were out of Kaitlyn's reach and had now been noticed by one of the thugs as well.

"Lookie here, fellas," one of the younger ones said, picking the taser up and waving it.

"Why, little miss… you weren't you gonna try using that on _us_ now, were you?" The bearded one grabbed her chin and forcefully craned her neck up so her face met his.

"Go to hell." Her voice dripped with venom, and she reeled back and hit the bastard's face with her head. It hurt, but it was worth it to hear him scream and see blood spurt from his ugly nose.

The guy she hit growled and stood up. "Taze this bitch," he snarled and the others were happy to comply. One ripped at her jacket to expose the tank top beneath it while another took out a pocket knife and began shredding Kaitlyn's pants. The younger one with the taser harshly jabbed at her a few times before tossing it aside and letting his hands join the many others that wandered over her body.

Kaitlyn swore and wretched, now laying on her side. She tried curling herself into as much of a ball as she could, but her hands and legs were pinned in place and she was in too much pain struggle. She couldn't fight back anymore. She hurt. The rain was ice on her skin. Everything was cold, even the places that had felt warm and sticky with blood only minutes ago had grown numb.

 _I guess this is it…_ She thought dimly. She was alright with dying if it was for her friends.

Though she'd miss them terribly...

Tears streamed down her face as her vision began to blur and become darker and darker. She found herself welcoming the release unconsciousness brought, at least she wouldn't have to be present mentally when the men got what they wanted from her body. Only one thought crossed her mind before she closed her eyes and gave in.

 _Sans…_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sans sprinted around the park. He couldn't teleport more than a few feet at a time now and was getting weak from overusing his magic, but his concern drowned all of his exhaustion out.

He'd been so relieved when she'd answered the phone, though his relief was immediately replaced with fear at the sound of her voice.

All she'd said was park, but it didn't even _sound_ like her. Something was wrong. Not only that, but Sans had heard distant voices in the background just before the call ended. He didn't have to know how to read emotions to know whoever those people were, they were vicious and they were angry.

He switched between running and teleporting around the trees, verging on hysteria.

He was sure there was only one major park in the area but he prayed he was right. He teleported from place to place, finally reaching the pond mid-way through his search.

That was when he heard the scream. His blood ran cold and his left eye flared an icy blue as he raced toward the source. More than screams, there was a lot of deep voices urging for continued screams and calling out disgusting words.

" _Fuck_ , her skin feels so smooth. This'll be good." A figure groaned.

Sans saw the men first, crowded around something laying on the ground. Realization hit and the next few seconds passed by very slowly. Sans raised his hand high and all five of the men began to scream as they were lifted into the air.

He flung them, one by one, into trees before lifting them up yet again and slamming them into the ground. Holding them down, Sans summoned bones. It took all he had to resist summoning his blasters and erasing their miserable existences for good.

They all screamed and called out for help. Sans held the magic bones over them, the tips sharpened into harsh points.

"shut up."

All at once, the group went silent, hoping obedience would help them be spared.

"who did this?" Sans pointed to the curled up girl lying on the ground, blood and water pooled around her. It was mostly rhetorical. It was painfully obvious who'd done it.

"Look man, we were just-"

"shut up!" Sans threw a sharpened bone and it sunk into the bearded man's right arm. His scream pierced through the night air but was blocked out by a loud clap of thunder.

"Please, let us go," one pleaded.

"why should i? you bastards obviously weren't planning on letting _her_ go." He flung all of them on the ground and held them there. He wanted so badly to rip their pitiful Souls from their bodies and squeeze the life out of them.

"W-we won't mess with her or anyone else again… Please, have mercy."

Sans walked away from the group, still holding them down with his blue magic. He approached Kaitlyn slowly, letting his anger die down a bit to check on her.

 _oh god. god, please no. there's so much blood… too much blood..._ He turned her gently onto her back and she groaned out in pain.

Sans quickly assessed her for injuries. Her clothes were torn. Her nose was bleeding badly and one of her eyes was swollen and discolored. Her arm was also swollen and turning a strange shade of yellow and blue. Worse, bruises of hand prints were beginning to show up on her body, running up and down her thighs and chest along with several shallow cuts from some kind of knife. It became all too obvious to Sans what the bastards behind him had been planning to do to her. Rage heated his body and made his blood boil until everything he saw looked red. His eye blinked between a brilliant yellow and cyan as he turned to face the men on the ground.

He stepped forward and pierced each of them with sharpened bones in their legs, arms, hands, ears, anything that wouldn't kill them until, one by one, the screaming stopped. It took only seconds for them to pass out.

Sweat dripped from his head and mixed with the blood and rain. Sans let go of his magic and knelt beside the beaten girl before him. He picked up what he recognized as her phone from the base of a nearby tree and called an ambulance and the MPD for the men behind him as well. There was no way in hell he was going to have them in the same hospital as her, though he doubted they wanted to be in the same hospital anyway.

Sans checked to make sure she was still breathing as he lifted her as gently as he could. It was shallow and ragged, but she was still breathing at least. He carried her small, broken body away and began making his way to the nearest monster hospital, switching between teleporting and running. He only paryed she could stay alive long enough for them to treat her.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 ** _(A/N: Okay, graphic part is over! You're safe to read from this point on!)_**

Sans stayed with Kaitlyn all night at the hospital. The doctors had her rushed into the ER for various surgeries and scans, telling him he'd have to wait until she was out before he could see her. He sent a quick message to Papyrus, telling him to stay put at home with the doors locked no matter what until Sans came back.

It took hours before they came back out to him, and the wait was agony for Sans.

He sat in the waiting room, his head in his hands for most of it. He was exhausted but couldn't sleep until he knew she would be okay.

 _i should have left for her apartment earlier. i should have gone inside right away instead of waiting like a damn fool. i should have called her to check in or made her stay with me tonight. i should have been there. i should have listened to her. i should have known when she'd gone out alone the first time. it should have been me who went to that meeting. now she could die and it'll be my fault._ Sans gave a shaky breath.

 _if anyone should die, it should be me._

He momentarily wished he had killed those sorry excuses for human beings.

But he knew killing them would only make him feel empty. That's how it always made him feel in the past… Not to mention, he couldn't imagine the look Kaitlyn would give if she heard he'd killed them. Even if they'd killed her, he knew she wouldn't want the same fate for them. That was just the way she was.

The rain continued to pour outside.

"Sans?" A small female monster with pink fur and long floppy ears called out meekly from the side door. He hopped up and was before her in an instant.

She yelped in surprise and he mumbled a quick apology before she continued.

"Y-your friend is out of surgery now." Her eyes seemed to look everywhere but at him.

"can i see her?" His voice frantic.

The small nurse monster nodded and began leading him to her room.

"She's still in critical condition, so t-try to be careful around her. M-make sure not to jostle her around. Sh-she's right in here… Room 1207B right around this c-corner." But as the poor nurse rounded the corner, she saw Sans already walking into the room down the hall before her. She simply shook her head and waited outside the door for the doctor.

Another monster stood by Kaitlyn's bed as Sans rushed in.

"Hello, you must be Sans," the monster stuck out a scaly red hand, "my name is Dr. Silth, or just Sil for short."

Sans grasped her hand quickly before moving to stand on the other side of Kaitlyn. "is she okay?"

"She's still in an unstable condition but she's not in dire straights anymore. She should stay here for a while to rest. I doubt she'll be able to wake up for at least a few days due to head trauma. She also had a pretty bad back and neck injury as well as a couple of broken ribs, a fractured arm, and we had to put a few stitches in for the cut above her eye. Not to mention the bruises and several cuts and abrasions." Sil looked to the bandaged girl on the bed. "We don't get many humans here. What happened?"

Sans eyes darkened. "MEO."

"Oh dear," the doctor shook her head. "Well then, I suppose we should be thankful that she's alive. Have you called the authorities Mr. Sans."

"i took care of it."

"I see… Well, my job is to heal, not ask questions. We've healed the worst of her injuries, but we don't want to overdose her on magic, seeing as she is a human."

Sans wanted so badly to tell the doctor that she didn't need to worry since Kaitlyn could use magic so she couldn't overdose on it, but he couldn't just go around telling whoever he liked. He doubted the hospital's monsters would want to do anything bad, but there was no telling what other humans would do if word got out. They'd want to experiment on her for sure and Sans refused to have her go through that. For now, he and his friends had decided to keep it to themselves.

Instead he just nodded and Sil left, telling him she'd check in every hour or so to change out Kaitlyn's IV and look at her bandages.

Sans barely heard her as he stood next to Kaitlyn's bed. He couldn't help but feel useless. Why couldn't he use Healing magic? Skeleton monsters used to be known for Healing, but he wasn't capable of it. Not now, anyway. If only Papyrus was here… then again, it was probably better for him to not see Kaitlyn like this. Why couldn't Sans be stronger?

Sans remembered the last time he'd wished he could Heal, though it had been Papyrus back then. Papyrus wouldn't be able to remember, but he'd told Sans something he'd never forget.

 _"You_ are _strong, just in a different way."_

He'd carried those words with him and believed his brother until now. How could he feel anything but weak at seeing Kaitlyn so close to death?

 _i should have been there sooner to protect her._ Sans touched her cheek lightly.

The crown of her head had gauze wrapped around it tightly and her arm that had been swollen was in a brace of some sort. He pulled the covers down slightly to see similar bandages and some stitches on various areas of her arms and legs. There was no telling the damage he couldn't see. He felt sick. Her heart monitor beeped a little too slowly for Sans' liking and her breathing was feather light and shallow.

He used one hand to hold onto hers tightly while his other hand softly traced the bandages and wounds on her face and arms. He'd never seen her so… delicate. He'd never even thought of how breakable she was. Seeing her the way she was now was awful and made his gut wrench.

How could he have seen her as anything but fragile? Her skin was soft and white, only disturbed now by the ugly gashes and dark bruises partially covered by gauze. He couldn't get the awful groan she'd given when he'd picked her up out of his mind.

What would he have done if she had died?

His grip on her hand tightened slightly at the thought and he choked on the knot that had formed in his throat some time ago.

He laid his head down on her bed and let himself do something he hadn't done for years.

Sans cried.

* * *

 ** _So sorry for the A/Ns in the story but I didn't want to cause problems for anyone with sensitivities or triggers. I promise this will be the only time in this story that happens!_**

 ** _Please review to leave any questions/comments/criticism or if you just enjoy the story! I hope you liked the extra long chapter ^.^ See ya!  
_**


	19. Alive

Kaitlyn was sure she had died. The rusty taste of blood lingered in her mouth and everything was unbearably dark. She felt like she was floating, and her body felt hot, as if it were on fire.

Fire. Grillby. Safe. Safe. She had to keep them safe. Safe from… what again? She couldn't recall. The last thing she remembered feeling was the gentle caress of a hand across her face before she let the darkness take her again. Her head pounded when she tried to think back before everything went dim.

Then she found herself in a very familiar place. It was black, maybe even darker than black, and she was falling down, down, down, deep into the abyss. Or was she floating? It was hard to tell after a while. Her chest ached like she was suffocating. Was she still dying if she felt pain? Was she already dead and caught inside an endless descent into hell?

 _"Oh my, just who are you?"_

Kaitlyns heart skipped a beat. She knew this voice.

 _"Hmm… you look familiar…"_ The voice was layered, both high pitched and a low guttural sound.

Kaitlyn pivoted and found the source of the voice. A small figure facing away from her, crouched on the ground. Its back hunched was less like a child and more like that of an animal.

 _"_ You must be somewhere between life and death if you're here…" The head began to turn, revealing wide, gaping holes where eyes should have been and a sinister smile.

 _"Ah yes, I remember you."_ The head continued to turn until it was at an impossible angle on the creature's neck. Blood dripped from the corners of the gaping holes and sides of its mouth. The area around the creature smelled of death and decay.

"H-how did you find me?" Her voice was meek, as though she was on the verge of tears.

A grating, deep sound bubbled up from the creature. It was laughing at her. _"_ I could smell your fear. It is..." It inhaled deeply. _"_ _Intoxicating."_

Kaitlyn was shaking. She remembered who this child was. Gaster had told her before that this was the first child who had fallen into the ruins after the monsters had been sealed away, but he'd gotten something wrong. This was no child. At least, not a _human_ child… But it didn't strike her as a monster either. It was… Otherworldly and unnatural.

As if to prove Kaitlyn right, the being slipped into the darkness and disappeared. She looked around frantically. Until a black hand from above grabbed her neck. The creature floated upside down and pulled her up so that their faces were only inches apart. Black shadows oozed from the being. It almost looked like it was rotting away.

 _"You're the one who took away my toy, aren't you?"_ Its breath made Kaitlyn gag. The creature cocked its head at a sickening 90 degree angle.

 _"What do they call you?"_

She wanted to scream. To cry out for help, but no sound came.

 _You're not real you're not real you're not real._ Her mind repeated over and over. She had to get out of here. She had to remember why she needed to live, otherwise she had a feeling she would be stuck in this terrible place forever with this _thing._

 _"_ Don't want to tell me your name, hm?" Its grip around Kaitlyn's neck tightened and she choked.

 _"That's fine, I can be quite good at guessing."_ Its lips curled upward and it thrust its free hand into Kaitlyn's chest. _"Seeing as how you were kind enough to bring your Soul along."_ It ran its tongue across its lips and hissed in what seemed to be pleasure.

She gasped, looking down ready to see blood pouring from the wound, but there was none. The creature's hand was most certainly inside of her though. She could feel it wriggling around, groping for something until it found her Soul.

 _"Ah, here we are."_ It took hold of her Soul; Kaitlyn felt like she couldn't breathe.

 _"_ Hm, so your name is Kaitlyn…" It ran its tongue over its teeth again slowly. _"_ _How delicious."_

Kaitlyn clawed at the creature's arm and her chest, anything to get it out from inside of her. The child's eye sockets widened, intrigued.

 _"_ And it seems you're acquainted with the idiot brothers and their little friends, how delightful!" The creature finally released her Soul and brought its hand up to her face, dragging long, talon-like nails across her cheek. _"_ _I will thoroughly enjoy killing them again with my new body."_

"New… body…?" Kaitlyn huffed and the creature blinked before cackling.

 _"What a stupid expression little girl!"_ It grabbed her chin. _"_ _Of course, I mean your body."_

Kaitlyn began to struggle against the demon child frantically.

 _Think. Think. Think! What happened? What were you doing before this?_ Her vision became blurry as the hand around her neck tightened even more.

 _"Don't worry, I'll forgive you for taking away my old toy… if you'll play with me instead."_ Its smile grew though its face looked to be melting away, part of it slipping down towards Kaitlyn's face. She gasped for air as the disgusting, murky ooze filled her mouth and nose.

 _"_ Don't die too quickly. It's no fun when they die right away." The hand gripped harder and Kaitlyn started to feel her body go limp, unable to fight any longer. Her eyes squeezed shut.

 _Sans…_

 _Sans!_

She had to live to tell Sans about the meeting! All at once the memories crashed in around her. _Grillby, Alphys, Undyne, Papyrus, Gaster._

 _Sans._

She couldn't die here. She couldn't let her body be taken by this _thing_.

There was so much she wanted to do before she died. She had to warn Grillby and save him and the other monsters. She had to tell Alphys how thankful she was to have her as a boss and tell her to be more confident in herself. She had to meet with Undye for another cooking lesson. She had to tell Papyrus that he was the best and sweetest spaghetti chef she'd ever met. She had to ask Gaster for forgiveness. She had to tell Sans her latest pun and show him more beautiful places he'd never seen before. She had to experience what he felt when he saw something new. She wanted to sing for him. She wanted to laugh with him.

She wanted to tell him how much he meant to her.

Fueled with adrenaline and the thoughts of her friends, Kaitlyn pushed back against the child.

 _"No! You can't!"_ The creature let go of her throat and cried out at the sudden light coming from her. _"_ _Don't!"_ As Kaitlyn felt herself being pulled away from the Void, she saw something that made her hesitate in her escape.

A small child with tear filled, human red eyes and a green and yellow stripped shirt reached out towards Kaitlyn. For a moment, she almost reached back.

"Please, don't leave me alone with it…" The voice was small and broken, nothing like the voice from before. It was just before the light swallowed her completely that Kaitlyn saw an ominous, dark figure hovering just beyond the child. The shadowy silhouette gave a wicked grin as Kaitlyn was pulled away. It wrapped two long, inky black arms around the child with red eyes and called out.

 _"_ We will come for you soon, little Kaitlyn."

She shot upright in her bed. No, that wasn't right. She wasn't in her bed, she wasn't even in her house. Her head felt fuzzy, and she couldn't quite remember what she'd been dreaming that made her heart pound so fiercely. Still partially dazed, she spotted her phone and reached for it.

Ouch. She flinched. Her entire body ached and protested at the sudden movement.

Kaitlyn reached for her phone again, slowly. She'd been asleep for… that couldn't be right. The date on her phone told her it was six days after she'd gone to the MEO meeting. She sighed and went to get up before feeling a tug at her right hand. She looked over to see a bony hand intertwined with her own.

 _Sans…_ She felt horrible. _Has he even left since I've been here?_

Her gaze landed on a multitude of cards just beyond Sans, each reading 'Get Well Soon' or 'Thinking of You.'

Except one. One with Sophie's handwriting just barely peeking out from within Sans' jacket pocket. Kaitlyn wondered briefly if it was the letter Soph had given him. It certainly _looked_ like the same letter…

Without thinking, she reached out for the letter. Her fingers had barely brushed against the corner when Sans began to stir. She leaned back again and waited until he sat up, blinking the sleep away slowly.

"Kat…?"

She thought for a moment. What should she say? There was so much she wanted to tell him, she wasn't sure where to start.

"Sans, I-"

"Kat!" He jumped up and leaned in to hug her. "you're awake! you're okay!"

"Ow..." Kaitlyn's voice was muffled against the fur of his hoodie.

"oh, uh, sorry." He sat back, smiling sheepishly.

Kaitlyn laughed then flinched at the sharp pain in her side. "It's alright. It was a good pain."

Sans gave a small, forced laugh, though he couldn't hide the concern etched in his features. "i'm glad you're awake. they said it might take a few days, but i was still worried that you...i mean, we were all worried that you… you might not…" He trailed off and looked away.

"It's okay. _I'm_ okay." She smiled softly. "Where is everyone?"

"they're in and out. visiting time only happens every few hours for people in your kind of condition…"

"Was it really _that_ bad?" Kaitlyn asked. She held her good hand up when Sans gave her a look that made her stomach flip with guilt. "Never mind, forget I asked. Anyway, where are they now? And why are you in here if it isn't visiting hours?"

"Alphys is out getting food, i think. Paps is in the waiting room. Muffet came by and brought some cookies a little while ago… says they're on the house to help you get better and as a goodbye present."

"Goodbye?"

"she's leaving town. going north. anyway, Grillby is-"

"Oh my god, Sans! I need to tell you, the MEO is planning to-"

"i know."

"What?"

"i saw the video on your phone. the MPD found it. don't worry, they're all safe. Undyne is with the MPD right now, trying to track down the MEO's leader, and Grillby is leaving with the other monsters who were in his house."

Kaitlyn's heart sunk. "They're leaving?"

"of course, what'd you think they'd do?"

"I dunno… I guess I thought if they knew, they could stay and…" What did she think they'd do if they stayed? Fight? Hide?

"Well, I guess leaving is all they _can_ do for now…" She hated that her friends were still being forced to leave. It felt like she had lost somehow… Maybe it wasn't so much she felt that she had lost but that the MEO had won?

"what matters is they're safe."

Kaitlyn nodded, wanting to change the subject. "So, why are you here if it isn't visiting hours right now then?"

Sans blushed slightly. "because... just because…"

"Because he absolutely refused to leave your side." A scaly monster Kaitlyn hadn't seen before was at the door. "May I come in?"

"hey doc, c'mon in. Kat, this is Sil, the doctor who's been taking care of you." Kaitlyn gave a small smile and a nod.

"Hiya! You have a sweet friend here. You should've seen him! He was so worried sick I was afraid I might have to treat him next!" Sil gave a hearty laugh while Sans' blush spread further across his cheekbones. "Any-who, it's good to see you're up. I didn't think it'd take you this long to wake up, but you seem to be doing much better. It's actually quite miraculous how quickly most of your wounds have healed. I suppose you just took to the magic treatments well." She nodded to herself while moving to check Kaitlyn's vitals. "All things considered, you look pretty good! On your way to a full recovery I'd say. I suggest you stay here for a couple more nights, just so we can make absolutely sure you're stable and there wasn't any other internal damage or trauma."

"Good, thank you for taking care of me."

"Like I said, thank your friend here. If he hadn't brought you in… well, I hate to think what might've happened." Sil turned to Sans. "Would you like for me to grab the one in the waiting room? He's been asking if he could come back every fifteen minutes."

Sans and Kaitlyn chuckled. "no, i'll go get him soon."

"Okay, just give me a call if you need me." And with that, Sil was out the door.

Kaitlyn waited a few moments. She needed to know where Gaster was, but wasn't sure how to bring him up. Sans was pretty touchy when it came to Gaster.

"Did you happen to check in at my place at all while I've been here?"

Sans gave a suspicious look. "not really. why? do you need me to go get something?"

"W-well, I was just wondering if you happened to know how Gaster was doing?"

"oh, uh… i actually need to talk to you about him."

"He's mad, isn't he?"

"pretty sure anyone would be pissed at having their Soul chained down. neat trick by the way." He gave her a hard look. "don't do it again."

She gave a small nod of shame. "Is he okay?"

"he's... fine. he's just worried about you mostly."

"You-you talked to him?"

"yep."

"Willingly?"

"kinda. it was more of a circumstantial thing."

"And…?"

"and what?"

"How did it go?"

"Kat, we didn't talk about anything from the past or about bringing him back. i went to your place, he told me you were gone and i left. other than that, he came here once just to check on you but promised i wouldn't see him again until i wanted to. he also told me he was… _sorry_." Sans had a look of confusion combined with a little anger as he said it, like he hardly believed it himself.

Kaitlyn just sat and watched Sans. She could tell he felt confused and even a little bitter, but he also felt a hint of happiness.

"i still don't know if i can forgive him though, even after hearing that."

Disappointment filled Kaitlyn and she sighed. "But he-"

Sans held up a hand. "i know. he's changed. i can see that now. and even if i don't know if i can forgive him," he looked over to Kaitlyn, "i think i'm ready to try. i can at least talk to him."

Her disappointment turned to immediate joy. Her hope was rekindled and her face lit up. "I'm so happy to hear that Sans, you can't even imagine!"

"there is a catch though." He paused. "i want you there when we talk, and i want you to apologize to him too. he may have been a piece of trash in the past, but having your Soul chained in place for hours is… well, it's not something i'd wish on anybody."

"It was that bad?"

"having your Soul bound is both inconvenient and painful. so yes."

Kaitlyn groaned. She was back to feeling horrible, but she couldn't deny the small happiness she felt at finally being able to talk to Sans about Gaster openly. Even better, he wanted to talk to Gaster himself! She'd never say it out loud, but in that moment, she felt like everything she'd gone through had been worth it.

"i guess i better go get Papy-"

A loud crash followed by the sound of feet, no doubt large red boots specifically, pounded against the ground as said monster came running into Kaitlyn's room.

"OH KATE! I'M SO GLAD YOU ARE AWAKE FINALLY!" Papyrus came forward and gave her a giant hug.

"Ouch. Papyrus, um, maybe a little less tight…?" She was smushed against one of the skeleton's large shoulders.

His grip lessened and he stepped back. "MY APOLOGIES HUMAN, I WAS JUST SO WORRIED AND WHEN THE NURSE TOLD ME YOU WERE AWAKE, I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF FROM COMING STRAIGHT HERE! THEY TRIED TO STOP ME, BUT NO ONE CAN HOLD BACK THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEH HEH HEH!"

Kaitlyn laughed. "I'm glad to see you too, Pap."

Tears filled Papyrus' eyes as he smiled down at her. He laid a hand on her head and ruffled her hair a bit. "Please don't give us a scare like that again." His voice was lowered and pleading.

"I won't. I'm so sorry, to both of you and everyone else. I promise, next time I'll be more careful."

"what? next time? Kat, let me be crystal clear on this: there isn't going to _be_ a next time."

She'd known this was going to be a tough conversation to have. "But we need to find out more! What if they try attacking Alphys' lab, or the MPD, or this hospital, or your house? I can't just wait around for it to happen!"

Sans looked ready to punch a hole in the wall. His jaw was set and his eyes looked fierce. "Paps, why don't you step out for a bit again? i need to have a little chat with the kid."

 _Yep, he's mad._ Kaitlyn thought. He hadn't called her 'kid' in a _long_ time. Papyrus noticed the atmosphere shift and decided it would be best to try and catch up with Alphys for the time being and call Undyne to let her know Kaitlyn was awake. Once Sans was sure he was out of earshot, he turned to Kaitlyn with crossed arms and a determined look.

"no."

Kaitlyn crossed her arms too. It was a little difficult with a brace on one of them and it hurt her side a bit. "Why not? I'm more safe going out than you or the others are!"

"safe? it doesn't look like you were safe this time. what makes you think anything will be different?"

"I'll be more careful! I can-"

"no! i can't believe you're even thinking of pulling a stunt like that again! do you not understand how worried we were? i had to pick you up and bring you here, but you were so cold and there was so much blood… i thought- _we_ thought you were dead. you are not going anywhere near the MEO anytime soon. or ever."

Kaitlyn squinted her eyes. "What makes you think you can stop me?"

Sans slammed his hands down on the side table. His left eye blazed a bright blue. "damn it Kaitlyn, you are not doing this again! do you realize how hard it was for me to have to call our friends and tell them you might be dead? what it was like to call _Papyrus_ and tell him what happened?" He grabbed the letter from his pocket she had been eying earlier and held it out. It was definitely the letter from Sophie.

"Sophie told me to take care of you! do you know how hard it was for me to call her and tell her what happened? how i'd failed…" His voice cracked slightly on the last word and his eyes went back to white pinpoints.

"how can you tell me you're sorry and then say you want to try the same thing again?" He sounded choked, like he was holding back tears of frustration and pain.

"Sans, I _am_ sorry for making all of you worry and for getting caught, but I'm not sorry for trying to protect my friends. I just want to keep you all safe." Kaitlyn looked down at her hands, trying not to get choked up herself.

"and i _need_ to keep you safe." He shoved the letter back in his pocket. "i was going to wait and tell you later, but we're leaving town. we can't stay with everything that's happened. i hurt those guys pretty badly, but they're still alive and they know what i look like. what you look like. i can't risk staying here and having Papyrus get attacked because of me."

Kaitlyn's face fell. "You're leaving…?" Her heart ached.

" _we're_ leaving. after this incident, i'm not about to leave you here unprotected and alone. i'm taking you north to the capital."

"Do I not get a say in this?" Kaitlyn grumbled, looking away from Sans.

"no, because you're not being reasonable. i already talked to Sophie about this and she agrees. it's just not safe here."

"What about Alphys and Undyne?"

"Alphys won't work in the lab while we're gone, she'll be with Undyne and Undyne can take care of herself. they can leave anytime they feel they aren't safe. Undyne knows what she's doing and she won't stay here with Alphys if she feels it becomes too dangerous for them."

"This isn't fair Sans. You can't _make_ me leave." She turned her gaze back to him, fire in her blue eyes.

Sans looked down, hurt. "you're right, i can't. i guess i was thinking you'd want to come if i left. maybe that was a little presumptuous though."

He had her. He was right, if he left, there was no doubt she would follow. After almost dying and being forced to leave him, there was no way she could leave him voluntarily.

But why?

How was it she could know what everyone else was feeling but she couldn't even sort out her own feelings? She still wasn't really sure how he felt either despite her ability. He was either really good at hiding it or she was just wanting something to be there that simply wasn't.

He sighed and pulled at the hood of his jacket. Kaitlyn's eyes widen.

"Sans… is that…?" She reached out with her good arm to touch the fur lining around the hood. Its usual snowy white color was tarnished with a dried brownish red.

"it's not mine, Kat." He took her hand and gently pushed it away from the blood. Realization flashed in her eyes, and she looked away, dejected.

"You're right…" she finally spoke, "I wouldn't be able to stay here if you left." She sighed, resigned.

Sans looked at her, relieved, and smiled.

"But before I can just leave everything behind, I need you to answer a question for me."

His smile lessened a bit. She could feel a nervous curiosity coming from him. She continued. "You said before that Soph's letter told you to take care of me. What did she mean by that?" Kaitlyn wasn't sure why, out of all the questions she had, _that_ was the one to reach the surface.

"w-what?" His eyes were averted once again. He looked like he'd been caught off guard by the question.

"Why would she ask you that? It's not like I can't take care of myself, and more than that, why did she write that letter for _you_ specifically? Why didn't she ask any of the others to look out for me?" Kaitlyn looked at Sans. "What else did her letter say and what did she mean by it?"

"w-well, uh, i'm not really sure… maybe you should ask her?" Sans refused to meet her eyes.

"Sophie wouldn't have given the letter to you if there wasn't an understood meaning behind it." Everything was slowly clicking into place for Kaitlyn, though she could still just be putting pieces together that didn't exist because she wanted it to be so. She had to be certain. She had to hear it from him directly.

"Sans," her voice was almost a whisper. She was so scared, but she had to know. "Do… do you have feelings for me?"

* * *

 _ **Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave any comments, questions or suggestions as a review or send me an IM. This story wouldn't be anything without you all so I truly am grateful to everyone who takes the time to read this. Thanks again and remember to stay determined! :3  
**_


	20. Forever

Kaitlyn's cheeks burned. "I-I mean, Sophie might just have the wrong idea, or maybe I'm just overthinking the whole thing…" She couldn't believe she'd just asked Sans something like _that_ so bluntly!

 _God, I'm such an idiot! How could I ask him how he felt at a time like this?!_ If she could've slapped herself without reopening a wound on her face, she would've. Sans' eyes had gone completely black and he looked absolutely shell-shocked.

"It's stupid… I-I sound crazy, right? Sophie always did tend to be over sensitive with that kind of stuff," Kaitlyn gave a nervous half laugh, "Now isn't the best time to be asking anyway, huh? I didn't mean to spring anything on you, I was just curious. It isn't like you've done anything to make it seem like you have feelings! Well, there was that one time you kissed me and I kinda freaked out but it was only on the head Though I _did_ kiss you first... and I was just overreacting again I guess and you didn't seem to think it was a big deal so I guess it wasn't and-and…" She trailed off.

"woah Kat, slow down." Sans snapped out of his frozen state and laughed, looking around anxiously. "don't you think you'd be the best candidate to know what i feel?" He wouldn't meet her eyes.

"You don't really open yourself up enough to let me know… Besides, I don't want to find out like that. I want to hear it from you, no matter what the answer is." She took a deep breath put her good hand over his.

"well, i-i..."His eyes darted around the room as though they were looking for an escape.

"Sans, it's okay. No matter what your answer is, I'll still always be here for you." Even though she said it with a smile, she wasn't sure how she'd feel depending on his answer. Her chest ached at the thought of any outcome this could have and how it might impact their friendship.

He closed his eyes and sighed. "okay, i just... i wanted to wait a little longer but... i suppose i can't put this off any longer." He took a few deep breaths before opening his eyes and meeting her wore a concerned expression, brow furrowed and lips slightly opened. It was a look she only gave when she was worried but Sans had grown to love it almost as much as he loved her, and now, it was time to admit it.

"Kat… you're more important to me than you could ever imagine. i've always been afraid of getting close to anybody. for a long time, i thought i would only ever be able to trust Papyrus, and even with him, there was some stuff i just couldn't share. things about my past, things i felt i had to deal with on my own... then i met you and it was like seeing everything i wanted to be but wasn't. you were brave and honest and could face your past and emotions in a way i've always been too afraid to do. you're earnest and you care about everyone, even strangers. you always want to see the best in people, and you're full of surprises. it always seems just when i think i have you figured out, you throw something new at me and i'm left completely baffled. at first, i just really enjoyed watching you grow and face every trial you met with confidence. eventually that became admiration, but now…"

"Now?" Her heart was pounding so hard she was sure he could hear it.

"i... i love you. it scares me so much, but i really think i've fallen for you." Sans' gaze was fixed on her hand, still resting on his own. The silence felt like it stretched for an eternity, and it wasn't until he saw drops of water land around their hands that he looked up.

Kaitlyn's stormy eyes were glassy with tears.

"oh god, Kat, i-i'm so sorry. god, i knew it was a mistake. it's not the right time, i shouldn't have-"

Kaitlyn pulled his hand until he was close enough for her to wrap her good arm around his neck.

"Don't be sorry. Don't _ever_ say you're sorry for how you feel, no matter what, and don't ever regret being honest. The only reason I could even confront my past and my emotions... My only reason for facing each trial I did is because you stood beside me and supported me. You've always been there for me in a way no one has ever been, and I've always felt so safe around you." She paused for a moment. "It's one of the things I love most about you."

Sans was stunned. "w-what? you mean you...?"

Kaitlyn nodded. "I'm scared too. I was so scared I couldn't even admit what my feelings were to myself."

It was true. She'd thought that because what she felt for Sans wasn't the same as what she'd felt when she'd loved Sam, she couldn't be in love, but she was so wrong. There was no doubt she'd loved Sam, but it was just a superficial love. They knew one another without _really_ knowing each others heart. The way she felt about Sans meant something more and went so much deeper than what she and Sam had had.

"Maybe I was really just scared to be in love again… I guess I thought if I just kept lying to myself, when you left I wouldn't be heartbroken like when Sam left." She laughed slightly. "But when you said you were leaving just now, I realized I was wrong. The only difference is I would have been heartbroken _and_ regretted never telling you how much I love you…"

Sans pulled back and held Kaitlyn's face in his hands. He stared deep into her eyes, they were shining that brilliant blue mixed with hues of gray. Even though she was bruised and beaten, she'd never looked more beautiful to him. "i will never, _ever_ leave you. but please Kat, please tell me you'll come with me and Papyrus. if you stayed, i honestly don't know if i could bring myself to go, but i can't have Paps stay and be in danger. and i can't risk losing you. if you didn't love me, i could handle that somehow, but i don't know what i'd do if i lost you." He now had tears peaking out from his eyes as well.

Kaitlyn reached up and gently wiped them away, sighing. "Didn't you hear me before? _I love you_ , Sans. At this point I don't think I'd be able to leave without you or let you leave without me. You win, I'll come, so just… smile, okay?"

He managed a crooked smile, a light blue blush across his cheekbones. "i think i must've won if someone like you could love a bonehead like me."

She laughed and brought her forehead to his. "Maybe you are a bonehead, but you're my bonehead." It sounded incredibly cheesy to her, but Sans grinned sheepishly at the comment, as though it was the greatest compliment he'd ever received. He leaned in slightly and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips before pulling away, obviously embarrassed.

Kaitlyn wished so much her entire body didn't ache with pain. She wanted nothing more than to jump up and pull him back to her. Still, although the kiss was short, there was a certain sweetness and warmth to it that made her heart beat faster and the colors around her appear more vivid. There was no doubt, it was the best kiss she'd ever had. Not because it was short or overly impressive, but because it was with Sans.

She playfully crossed her arms and huffed. "There better be more where that came from," she said with a sly smile.

Sans looked like he'd just imploded. She giggled at how bright his face was. If she tried, she could almost imagine steam coming from his head.

"c'mon Kat, don't tease me…" He pulled his hoodie up to hid his blue face.

"Sorry, Sans." She smiled, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and love coming from him. Though it only made her want to tease him more. "No need to feel _blue_." She laughed.

He raised an eyebrow and stifled his own laughter. "you think you're real cute, don't cha?"

"Maybe a little," she said, still giggling. "Why? Don't you?" She batted her eyes.

He decided it was his turn to tease, remembering how embarrassed she'd gotten from just a kiss on her forehead when they'd been visiting Sophie. In just a blink, he was suddenly out of his chair and right next to her, his face dangerously close to her neck. She froze.

"oh, i think you're very cute." His breath tickled her ear and made her shiver as he whispered. She could feel as her own face started to heat up. He moved his face back a bit so she could see him fully. "in fact, you're more than cute. you almost look downright appetizing." A blue tongue materialized and licked around Sans' teeth. His left eye was burning bright.

Kaitlyn suddenly found breathing to be a very difficult task. Her face was absolutely red from the tips of her ears to the base of her neck. Sans hopped off the side of her bed and laughed. "kidding." He winked as he slid back into his chair beside the bed. "you alright there, Kat? you look a bit flushed, and your heart monitor is going a little crazy." He had a cheeky smile as he asked.

She held her good hand up in defeat. "Okay, okay, you win again." She shot him a sneaky glance that promised trouble. "For now."

The two sat and talked for a while longer. Sans called Papyrus and the others, letting them know it was alright to come and see Kaitlyn when he got back to the hospital. He was with Undyne and Alphys at the moment so Sans and Kaitlyn could rest easy, knowing the three would be safe as long as they stayed together and out in the open during daylight hours. Meanwhile, they joked around as if nothing had changed, and in a way, nothing had. They'd both loved each other before, the only difference now was they knew how the other felt. They still laughed at the same stupid jokes, and although it was the same, Kaitlyn felt it was also somehow different. Perhaps it was her ability to read emotions. Sans certainly wasn't closed off anymore. She could hardly believe all of his feelings flowing out from him were for her.

Mid-way through some silly story about her childhood, Kaitlyn stopped and let her thoughts get the better of her. Sans gave a questioning look.

"So, what happens now? With us I mean."

Sans shrugged. "whatever you want i guess. i was prepared to take any answer you gave when i told you, though i wasn't expecting to tell you until you got better. i had even planned out different scenarios of what to do or say. funny thing is, i hadn't really thought of what i'd do if you said you loved me back." He leaned back and closed his eyes. "quite the optimist, aren't i?"

"Well I never dreamed of _anyone_ loving me again after all the baggage I've accumulated throughout my life, so I guess I'm right there with you. We really do make quite a cheerful pair, don't we?" They smiled at one another.

Sans leaned forward again, deep in thought. "maybe it'd be better to keep it a secret, at least from Alphys and Undyne, until we come back? i get the feeling they would call every hour for status updates if we dropped a bomb like this on them right before leaving."

"Good point. We should also probably try and keep it from other humans, as well. If news about a human-monster relationship got out…" Kaitlyn groaned. "My introverted self would probably die a little bit inside."

Sans chuckled. "you and me both. never been a big fan of being the center of attention, that's Paps' thing. my thing is more along the lines of staying inside and relaxing."

"And puns."

"yeah, that too." He smiled. "the first monster-human relationship, huh? it's still hard to believe… you sure this isn't a dream?" Sans shook his head and stared at Kaitlyn's hand in his own, gently memorizing the shape, the feel of her grip and skin. If it was a dream, he wanted to remember every detail, shape and moment of it.

"I hope not."

She brushed the back of his hand with her thumb.

"Sans?" Kaitlyn's eyelids were beginning to feel heavy again. She was exhausted, even after the day and a half of sleep. Poor Sans was just as tired; he'd hardly slept a wink for a majority of the time they'd been there.

"hmm…" He could feel himself starting to doze off as well. He rested his head against her.

"Promise you won't leave…?" She squeezed his hand. He brushed a tender kiss across her knuckles.

"you couldn't get rid of me now even if you tried." He nuzzled into her arm. "i won't leave you. and i will never, ever stop loving you. i promise."

She laid her own head back and relaxed, all the while cursing their bodies for being so tired during the time when they could be alone together. She only got out a few words before sleep took them both, and though she wouldn't be able to recall them later, Sans would never forget.

"I love you, Sans. I promise I'll stay with you too, forever."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When Kaitlyn opened her eyes, she felt the gentle touch of a hand on her head. She was sure it was Sans, so she was pretty surprised when she opened her eyes and saw Gaster standing beside her.

"Gaster!" She sat up and winced at the sharp pain in her stomach. It felt a little better than before, but it still hurt when she moved too fast.

 _Greetings._ He had a small smile, but his gaze was solemn. Kaitlyn tried to put on a happy face but couldn't forget how she'd last left Gaster and Sans' words about when they'd met…

Where was Sans anyway? She looked around briefly.

 _He went to meet with the others._

"Does he know you're here?"

 _Yes, I asked if I could have a word with you for a bit._

"Oh…" Her insides twisted and turned. "Gaster, I'm so sorry for chaining your Soul. I didn't mean-"

 _Hush now, child. Do not fret. I am not angry about that._

Kaitlyn exhaled before considering his words. "But you _are_ angry…" It wasn't a question; she could feel his unrest throughout the room.

 _I am… upset, I think is a better word._

"I'm sorry, Gaster… none of this was ever my intention. I thought that since I was ready to sacrifice myself for the monsters, then the consequences wouldn't matter. I didn't really consider how you and everyone else would feel if I had… well, you know."

 _Died Kaitlyn. You could have died._

She flinched at the harshness of his tone and the wave of pain that rolled out from his Soul.

"I-I'm sorry. I know I can't do anything to make up for all of the worry and pain I put you and everyone else through, but I swear, I won't do that again. Especially alone."

Gaster sighed. _I have already forgiven you, as I am sure everyone else has as well. We all love you very much Kaitlyn._

"I love all of you too." Kaitlyn smiled but was surprised to see Gaster smirk a bit at the comment.

 _Yes, some more than others I believe._

She looked away. "Wh-what's that supposed to mean?"

His smile widened. _I saw you two when I came in. That, and I'm no fool. I've been around long enough to know when someone is in love. Also, I know Sans and his behaviors quite well at this point._ He laughed quietly.

"Yeah, well," Kaitlyn laughed and pushed at him playfully, "just don't go telling anybody. We decided it'd be better to keep it a secret for now."

 _Not sure who on earth I could tell since you and Sans are the only ones who can actually hear me._

"For now, but it might not always be that way G." She laid a hand on his shoulder.

 _Always so bright and full of hope._ He smiled down at her. _Perhaps one day. Though I truly am undeserving of such hope let alone such a future._

"That's not true, G." Kaitlyn shook her head. "Who you were in the past might play a part in the way things turn out, but it's who you want to be in the future that makes you who you truly are. I know you want to be better than who you were. And you are. I can see it, and I think Sans is starting to see it too. I believe there is a better future for you than this, but only if you work hard to make it happen."

Gaster mulled over her words for a few moments before responding. _Would it be possible… That is, would you mind terribly much if… If I could believe in that future as well?_ He clenched his hands nervously. Kaitlyn beamed at the anxious skeleton. She knew he wasn't nervous for her answer. He already knew her answer. He was nervous of what believing in such a future would mean: to accept his past and forgive himself.

"Of course that's okay. I've been waiting to hear you say that for a long time, Gaster." She gave him the biggest one handed hug she could muster without hurting herself. When she finally turned loose, she looked back up at him and felt her eyes widen in shock.

The cracks leading to the bottom of his left eye and the top of his right eye were closing up. It almost looked like they were healing. More than that, both of his eyes began to glow; one a dim orange, the other a familiar cyan blue.

Gaster gasped as his body took shape into what he used to be. He rushed over to a nearby mirror in the room's bathroom and gaped at his reflection.

"How is this possible?" He spoke, but for the first time, it wasn't just something Kaitlyn heard as an echo throughout her mind. She actually _heard_ it. She could hear his voice. And he could too.

He came out of the tiny bathroom and stood before her, absolutely dumbfounded. The places that used to be cracked were now nothing more than lines, and his glowing eyes had subsided to white pinpricks of light, similar to Sans' eyes.

"Are you…?"

"I-I'm not sure…" He looked at his hands, still utterly shocked and slightly confused. She reached forward and tugged at his sleeve. He felt real, but then again he didn't feel any more or less real than he had minutes ago.

It was at this strange moment that Kaitlyn heard the door to her room begin to open. She hoped to God it was Sans. Unfortunately, Papyrus' voice was the one to reach her ears.

"HELLO KAITLYN! I JUST WANTED TO CHECK IN ON YOU SINCE MY LAZY BROTHER SEEMS TO HAVE ABANDONED HIS POST, AS USUAL."

Both Gaster and Kaitlyn were frozen, waiting for Papyrus to react in some way. Shocked? Frightened? Upset? Happy? Confused? They weren't even sure if he'd remember Gaster just from seeing him.

What they weren't expecting was for Papyrus to walk right by Gaster without any noticeable reaction at all.

"THOUGH I SUPPOSE THE LAZY BONES HAS DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB UNTIL NOW, SO WE MUST GIVE HIM CREDIT AND A DEFINITE 'A' FOR EFFORT! NYEH HEH!" They continued to watch, stunned, as Papyrus simply sat down beside Kaitlyn, opposite of where Gaster now stood.

Papyrus gave a look of concern and lowered his voice. "Are you okay Kate? You look a little frazzled."

She shook herself out of her daze and forced an almost relaxed smile. "Y-yeah Paps. I'm just glad to see you is all."

"WELL THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE, SEEING AS I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MASTER CHEF AND BEST OF FRIENDS!"

Kaitlyn laughed. "Definitely. I was just dazzled by your presence, I guess."

"BUT OF COURSE! OH, I KNOW! I SHALL GET A NICE GLASS OF WATER FOR YOU! PERHAPS THAT WILL HELP YOU FEEL LESS DAZZLED BY MY MOST OBVIOUS CHARMS! I CAN TELL YOU'RE SWOONING FROM MY MERE EXISTENCE!" He gave a great hoot and started for the door again before stopping and lowering his voice once more before leaving.

"Sorry I barged in so suddenly. Sans told me he left you alone for a bit while you were sleeping but I thought I heard another voice in here. It didn't sound familiar so I got nervous and just wanted to check in and make sure you were okay…" Papyrus took one more glance around the room, his eyes passing over Gaster completely. "I guess it was just my imagination though! Anyway, I'll be back soon with your water." He shrugged and just as fast as he'd come, he was already gone again.

Gaster turned slowly to Kaitlyn, eyes still wide. Kaitlyn had never seen him so shocked before. Then again, she had a feeling her face mirrored his own.

"We need tell Sans about this later."

He nodded slowly in agreement.

* * *

 ** _Hey guys and gals! Sorry for not updating sooner, I've been moving from an apartment into a house and the last week has been kinda insane... I thought I'd have this chapter up by Friday or Saturday for sure but that obviously didn't happen. Anyway, I hope you still enjoyed and it wasn't too cheesy. I try to make the relationships as genuine as possible but this is my first time writing anything with any sort of depth to it, not to mention my lack of actual experience in the whole love department ;P_**

 ** _Either way, I hoped you enjoyed it and please feel free to leave any criticism, questions or comments in the reviews or just message me directly. Thank you soooo much for the support and to those of you who left such nice reviews for the last chapter! They really made my week a little brighter ;D_**


	21. Do You Hear What I Hear?

Papyrus was back fairly quickly after running out. He gave Kaitlyn a cup of water as well as a few comforting pats on the back. Gaster was sitting quietly in the corner, making the least amount of movement and noise as possible. He was trying to be patient but Kaitlyn could tell he was getting antsy.

"Thanks Paps. Hey, do you happen to know where everyone else is right now?" Kaitlyn sipped the water nonchalantly.

"Oh yes! Alphys and Undyne actually came in earlier to see you but you had fallen asleep by then." His voice had come down to a normal volume after another patient complained about the noise. "I believe Alphys is being escorted home by Undyne since it's almost nightfall."

It was already almost dark out? She must have been asleep for quite a while… Her window was closed so she hadn't even noticed when the moon began to rise.

"Anyway," Papyrus continued, "Sans is… somewhere around here. I'm not sure why he's wondering around now. He hardly left your side before but all of the sudden he came out and said he needed to be alone for a bit."

Kaitlyn stole a side glance to Gaster who shrugged, thinking Sans probably just wasn't in the mood to be in the same room while they talked just yet. She hoped he wasn't having second thoughts about talking to him again.

"He hasn't left the hospital though, right?"

Papyrus shook his head. "No, I don't think so. I doubt he'd leave both of us alone, even if it is in a hospital."

Kaitlyn smiled. Papyrus was definitely sharper than he looked. She hadn't thought about it much, but with as protective as Sans can be, Paps was probably right. The only reason he would leave them both would be if it was an absolute emergency.

"Okay, I think I'd like to take a little walk around to stretch my legs. You want to come with me and see if we can find him together?"

Papyrus grinned widely. "It would be my honor Kate! Here, let me get a nurse and we'll help you out of the bed." And he was out the door again.

Kaitlyn turned to Gaster with an apologetic look. "Let me talk to him first. Do you think you'll still be able to hear me if I call out to you?" She wasn't entirely sure how his mind-reading, or whatever it was, worked.

"I'm not too sure... I'll be around though. For now, I think I'm going to-" Gaster stopped mid-sentence. Kaitlyn was about to ask what was up but he held up a hand and pointed toward the door. A second went by, then Papyrus walked back through the threshold with a nurse in tow.

After the grueling eternity it took to sit up then stand, Kaitlyn was finally walking on her own. Well, sort of… She had to lean on Papyrus for support and she hobbled along with a slow limp, but she managed. The nurse was actually pretty shocked that she could stand and move around at all. Kaitlyn didn't really get it, but she was glad she could stretch her legs, even just a little none the less. She noticed Gaster melt into the shadows as they left the room.

 _Guess he can still do that neat little trick,_ she thought to herself, wondering if he could possibly be following the two or if he went somewhere else. _Where does he go when he's invisible? He couldn't just be silently watching over me all the time… I don't think he would go back into the void with that child still there._ She made a mental note to ask him about it later.

"So, um, Kate…" She glanced up at Papyrus. "Has Sans, um, said anything about possibly, ah, leaving…?" He was fidgeting around nervously. Kaitlyn nearly toppled over but he caught her arm just as she began to fall.

"Sorry, why don't we take a break and sit down somewhere." She smiled to show him she was okay and his worried expression shifted over to some seats across the hall. It was a slow process and Kaitlyn could feel her limbs crying out in protest as she moved to sit beside Papyrus, but she ignored the pain so he wouldn't worry.

"So has he said anything?" The skeleton asked again once she was settled.

"Yeah, he had said something about leaving earlier to me. Why didn't you ask him about it when he came out of my room earlier?"

"I was scared, I guess. I don't really want to leave. I understand now why he wants to go. Sans had brought it up before all of this happened, saying it was too dangerous here, but I didn't really know why he thought that. I still don't understand completely. I mean, I've seen the news and I know the stories about these humans who-" he shivered, "who do terrible things, but I couldn't conceive of someone doing such awful things or any of my friends getting hurt. How could... w-why would anyone hurt someone as kind as you? I just don't understand..." He looked down at his hands and clenched them into fists. "I wish I had been there to protect you. I wish I was strong enough to keep my friends safe. I wish... I-I wish I hadn't told him I wanted to stay back then, maybe none of this would've happened and you'd be okay…"

Kaitlyn held tightly to Papyrus' hand. "Don't blame yourself Paps. None of this is your fault, it was all my stupid idea. I didn't want any of you there because I didn't want anyone getting caught up in my dumb plan and getting hurt. You staying might've saved me from a much worse fate. I don't think I would've gone with you if you'd left anyway and even if I had, think about what could've happened to Grillby. If you two weren't here and I'd done the same thing, Sans wouldn't have come. I'd be-" She stopped, not really wanting to think about what could've happened if Sans hadn't been there. "Everything that happened was because of my decision to go. It was no one else's fault, especially not yours." She reassured him.

He sighed and looked down. Kaitlyn felt his guilt fade away but his sadness remained.

"What's wrong, Paps?"

"Well, about the conversation you and Sans had about leaving. Are you… Can you come with us?"

So _that's_ why he had been scared. He obviously wasn't thrilled about leaving town, but he was scared she wouldn't come.

"It's just that Undyne already said she had to stay here which means Alphys is staying too. I know it's selfish to want to take them with me and it's selfish to want you to come with me and Sans instead of staying here, but…" His eyes filled with tears. "I'm scared you'll stay here and something bad might happen again and Sans won't be there to protect you next time!" He was sobbing now.

"Of course I'm coming with you Paps!" She hugged him and patted his back, trying to soothe him. "It's okay, it's okay. I won't leave you guys, I'm here."

He wiped away his tears and wrapped his long bony arms around her gently. He sniffled and gave a small, relieved smiled. They stayed like that until he was completely calmed down, Kaitlyn absorbing just a bit of his sadness so it would fade away a little faster.

He stood up, back to his happy-go-lucky self. "Now, let us continue our search for Sans! Nyeh heh!"

They search around for a while longer until the two spotted Sans sprawled across a bench, fast asleep. Papyrus wasted no time in going over and lifting his brother into the air. "Hooray! We have found you at last Sans! Though I guess I should've known you'd be somewhere sleeping." He squinted at Sans but was smiling anyway.

"hey Pap, good to see you too. i was starting to feel a little-"

"Sans. No." He placed his brother back on the ground, arms crossed.

"-bonely."

"SAAAAANSSSS!" Papyrus began stomping his foot in mock-furious. "You know how I can't stand your puns and you use that one too much anyway!"

Sans shrugged. "sorry bro, i guess i just like to get _under your skin_." He gave a cheeky look as Papyrus proceeded to have an internal meltdown. Kaitlyn laughed at the brothers' antics. Sans peered around Papyrus and finally saw her leaned up against the wall. He walked over to help give her some support as she limped over to the bench.

"you're awake, good." He nodded. "did you have any, uh, alone time to talk?"

"Kate was talking to herself?" Papyrus looked concerned for a moment. "Oh! Is that what I heard when I went to your room, Kate? But…" The tall skeleton scratched his head. "I still could've sworn I heard another voice."

Sans raised an eyebrow and Kaitlyn did her best to explain. "Yep, I had a nice chat with myself. Just some reflection on everything that's happened. I-I guess I was having a pretend conversation with one of you because I felt lonely too so I was... uh, using a deeper voice and Papyrus heard _him_." Sans' eyes widened while poor Papyrus just looked confused. She looked to Paps and smiled saying, "Sorry, I meant to say me."

"Ah, yes, I see!" Papyrus nodded thoughtfully. Meanwhile Sans also looked deep in thought. Kaitlyn wondered what he could be thinking. His emotions didn't seem any different than a few minutes before, but there was the possibility he was somehow blocking her again… She hated when he did that, though she had to admit she had an unfair advantage with her ability.

"hm. well we can talk more later, for now you look tired." Sans had her wrap and arm around his shoulders to keep her steady. "c'mon Pap, why don't you lead the way?"

"Oh yes, I am the best at leadershipping!" He proudly marched ahead of the pair. Just as they began their slow walk back, a sound similar to an angry dog growling filled the space between the group. Kaitlyn's face was hot instantly as the two skeletons stared wide-eyed at the human between them.

"Uh, s-sorry… I'm, um, kinda hungry so... Ha..." She paused to look at her friends. "What? Haven't you guys ever had your stomach- Oh..." She laughed slightly. "I guess I sometimes forget you guys are skeletons and don't really have, uh, intestines."

"So that sound came from here?" Papyrus gently poked Kaitlyn's belly. She flinched but quickly hid her slight discomfort with a patient smile.

"Yeah Paps, it means that I'm hungry. Do other monsters' stomachs not growl when they get hungry?"

"well, our food doesn't work the same way as human food does," Sans interjected, "so nope, we've never heard… that before." Kaitlyn's face felt even hotter, which she could tell made Sans somewhat amused. She scowled at the bonehead for a brief moment before sighing and moving on.

"Ugh, let's just get some food! Monster or human is fine, I'll take anything."

"DO NOT FRET KATE! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS-" A nurse poked his head around the corner and gave a quick hushing motion to the tall skeleton. "Oops, sorry!" The nurse nodded and slipped away. "Anyway, I, the great and wonderful Papyrus, shall find you something nourishing to make the weird tummy sounds go away!" He began to take off down the hall.

"be careful bro! we'll go back to the bench so she can rest." Sans called after him and Papyrus gave a big thumbs up, jogging away.

"Gaster can speak out loud now, huh?" Sans said as he turned back to face Kaitlyn and begin walking.

"Yeah, it's just what I thought! I knew he just needed to forgive himself." Kaitlyn nodded, then paused. "Well, I didn't know it'd bring another part of him back to reality, but I knew it couldn't hurt!"

Sans laughed. "heh, i guess that counts, sure. where is he now?"

"Gone... somewhere. I'm not sure where he goes when he's not with me, but wherever he is, he's keeping quiet."

" _ears_ hoping he does."

Kaitlyn snorted. "Good one!"

Sans grinned. "i try," he shrugged, "but not too hard."

She smiled but then went quiet, staring at her hands. "So, now what?"

"what'd ya mean? i thought we talked about that earlier." He sat her down gently before taking his place next to her, guiding her to lean on him for support.

"Not _that_ ," she blushed slightly, "I mean Gaster, and leaving town. What do we do?"

"we do what we always do: take things one step at a time. next time he comes around, i'll be ready to talk. promise."

"And when are we leaving?"

"when you get well enough to walk on your own. why bring it up?"

"Papyrus and I talked about it…"

"oh…?"

"I think me getting hurt really scared him. I can tell he doesn't want to leave but at the same time he's… more aware of the danger. I guess I feel guilty. Has he even left the hospital since I've been here?"

Sans looked away. "not much, and never at night…"

Her brows furrowed together in a melancholy frown. "That's not like him at all. Did you know? That he blamed himself for what happened." She shook her head.

"i suspected. most people like to point fingers and find a scapegoat when something goes wrong, but Paps has always blamed himself when someone he knows gets hurt. of course, i've tried talking to him but... it's just, ya know, in his nature."

"I'm such an idiot."

"that's not true Kat. i can't say i agree with your decisions, but you only did what you thought would protect your friends. caring doesn't make you an idiot."

"Then why do I feel so crummy?"

"maybe the broken bones?" Kaitlyn eyed Sans skeptically. "what? it's pretty uncomfortable for me when i break 'em." He smiled weakly.

"I'm being serious, Sans."

"i know, i'm just... not sure how to help. i think if you hadn't done it alone then you wouldn't feel as bad, but maybe the consequences would've been worse. i don't know." He glanced over until his eyes met hers. "what i do know is i'm thankful things turned out the way they did and that everyone's okay. Kat, you saved Grillby and those refugees he was housing. why waste time regretting something like that? i'm not trying to encourage you to pull the same stunt again, but if there's anything you've taught me, it's that you can't let your past weigh you down. don't sit and agonize over your mistakes, learn from them." His voice was firm but there was still love behind the words. It definitely made Kaitlyn feel a little better.

She leaned her head on his shoulder and gave him a light peck on the cheek. "Thanks, Sans. You're the best." He was glad she couldn't see the flushed expression on his face from the angle she was at.

"o-of course. i'll always be here for you Kat."

She hummed contentedly before suddenly sitting up and withdrawing her hands from Sans' just as Papyrus rounded the corner with enough food for a few Kaitlyns, though most of it was spaghetti.

The three laughed and ate before taking her back to her room to rest. She insisted they go home to rest in their own beds, only convincing Sans when she mentioned how tired Papyrus looked. Sans assured her Undyne would be there to check in on her soon. The two paranoid skelebros still refused to leave until Kaitlyn promised she would call or text them every so often just to give occasional updates or if anything even kind of off happened.

Sans used one of his 'shortcuts,' and once they were gone, Kaitlyn sighed. She was extremely tired herself but would be able to rest a little easier knowing Sans and Papyrus were safe in their own beds and getting some well deserved rest.

 _I hope my body heals up soon._ She yawned, her heavy eyelids drooping further down. It wasn't long until exhaustion completely overwhelmed her and she slipped into a dreamless slumber.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The hospital deemed Kaitlyn healthy enough to leave two days later. Sil questioned her abnormally quick recovery time but Sans convinced her it must've been the magic inside of monster food as well as the initial magic treatment given to her via IV. Sil agreed that humans tended to take to magical treatments differently, some better than others, so she decided to let it go without too much of a fuss.

"So, why _did_ I heal so fast?" Kaitlyn whispered to Sans as they walked out of the hospital. She was able to walk on her own though she still needed crutches. Regardless, even she had to admit it was odd how good she felt only a few days after the incident. All she had left were a few scraps and bruises along with a very minimal ankle sprain.

"it's true enough that all humans take to the healing effects of monster food and magic differently, you especially since you can actually use magic." Sans nodded to himself. "you've been using it enough at this point to become pretty skilled. i'm almost positive you're magic is in the Special Class. it's what makes the most since based on what we know about your magic so far."

"What are you dorks talking about?" Undyne asked as she broke away from the group walking in front of the two. She and Alphys had come with Sans and Papyrus to see Kaitlyn out of the hospital.

Sans shrugged nonchalantly. "not much. Kat's just glad to be out and about now." With everything that's happened, they hadn't really had time to talk to the others about Kaitlyn's magic, and now that they were about to leave town, Sans didn't really feel up to going into it.

"Ah I see!" Undyne put a strong arm around Kaitlyn's neck and pulled her close in a friendly gesture. "We're glad you're out too, ya know! You had us all pretty worried for a minute there."

"Yeah, sorry about that…"

The blue monster grinned and shook her head once before saying, "As long as you're okay, that's what matters. Gotta say, what you did took guts and I can respect that." She playfully punched Kaitlyn's arm, taking care to be more gentle than usual. "So ah," Undyne's smile melted away as she looked down at the human beside her and lowered her voice a bit, "when are you guys planning on leaving town?"

"soon. very soon." Sans interjected.

Undyne shot him a side glance. "I wish I could go with you guys but-" she looked to Alphys. "Alphys wants to stay here for her research and to watch over her lab, and the MPD needs me… I can't let those scummy humans get away with everything they've done." She clenched her fists.

"It's okay Undyne, I understand, and I'm sure Paps does too." Kaitlyn stealthily and slowly absorbed her friend's doubts and sorrow as soon as she felt it surface. "Just stay safe and remember to smile. For both of their sakes." She nodded towards the two monsters chatting happily in from of them. Undyne blinked as if trying to remember why she felt insecure in the first place before smiling again.

"Of course, protecting others is what I do best, and I can't do that if I don't stay safe!" She gave a thumbs up before laughing and running up to join Papyrus and Alphys again.

"You sure they'll be okay?" Kaitlyn could feel Undyne's uncertainties weighing on her shoulders.

Sans took her hand and squeezed reassuringly. "i'm sure they'll be fine. Undyne is strong and Alphys is smart. if anyone could figure out and catch the MEO it's those two."

"Right." She shook off the fear and sadness, knowing it'd be a bit before she got over the absorbed emotions completely, but it was worth it if it helped Undyne feel better. "Where are we going again by the way?"

"north, to the capital."

"Capital? You know, I've never been one for geography but I'm pretty sure the capital is east from here."

Sans grinned. "i mean the monster capital."

"Monster capital? What's that?"

"it's the place where the Underground's entrance is. well, the city is actually right outside of where the entrance is. it's mostly a city of monsters because we built it and it's the safest place for us right now. a couple of human-monster relationship activists have even moved there now, i think. how have you not heard of this before?" He squinted over to Kaitlyn who just shrugged in a very Sans-like fashion.

"I haven't really had time to catch up on what's going on in the news. I think I remember hearing about a monster city though a long time ago now that you mention it. Anyway, where are we staying?"

"we'll be in a friend's guest cottage. it's not too big, but it's got enough room for the three of us."

"The three of us? Together?" Kaitlyn furrowed her brow.

"yeah, you, me and Paps. is something wrong?"

"No, it's just…" She hadn't been expecting to stay under the same roof as Sans and Papyrus. Something about the thought of sleeping only a few rooms away from Sans made her heart beat a little faster. It's not like she was expecting him to do anything, but…

He gripped her shoulder and smiled. "don't worry so much. we've stayed in the same house before, remember?" That's right, they had both slept in Sophie's house but... She shook her head.

"Who's the mind-reader here again?"

" 'i don't read _minds_ i read _emotions._ ' " Sans mimicked her a high-pitched tone and they laughed before she continued.

"That was different back then. There were more people and feelings were not," she paused, considering her words carefully, "defined back then."

Sans shrugged. "we'll work through it. besides, i would never do anything you didn't want me to. i was prepared for that before i even told you how i felt."

"I know."

"and there's Paps. i especially wouldn't do anything as long as he's there."

Kaitlyn nodded. "That's true, but it's not so much I think you'd do anything as it's just- I don't know. I guess I'm just nervous because the last few people I've lived with the outcomes were… less than desirable." Her heart still hurt to think about Luce or the way everything ended with Sam. She was terrified something bad would happen and the repercussions it could have on her relationship with either of the skelebros. "What if I'm just bad luck?" She grumbled.

"you're one of the best things that's ever walked into my life, so you're _not_ bad luck, Kat. besides, everything will be fine. things are different now." He brushed away some stray hair that had found its way in front of her face. She smiled and looked over to him.

"You're right. I'm probably just overthinking things."

Sans knew her concern wasn't completely unwarranted, though he also knew he was right in saying there wasn't anything to worry about. Magic was a fickle thing at times, and if it went unchecked for too long, it could have various effects on others, especially non-magic users. It was very likely that after the monsters had surfaced, whatever seal that had been placed on Kaitlyn's magic was broken. This caused her magic to be able to flow more freely and affect those closest to her, specifically her aunt and Sam. And because her magic was based on emotions... well, it wasn't a stretch to think her magic didn't effect those around her mentally or emotionally. Humans were, after all, very fragile beings.

Sans simply couldn't believe that the monster's surfacing and her aunt's sudden illness and memory loss had nothing to do with one another. It could even be that Luce also inherited some magic, assuming it was from that side of the family of course, and her magic simply wasn't compatible with Kaitlyn's. As a result, Sans assumed both of their magic built up because it wasn't being used and created Luce's illness not to mention emotional instability in Kaitlyn. That was likely why she felt Luce's illness became worse every time she would go around her.

Then there was Sam. Because Kaitlyn's magic could effect emotions and feelings and was quite possibly part of the Special Class, the build up of magic may have caused him to become overly stimulated with unconscious outflows of her magic. Sans didn't want to admit it, and he certainly never had any intention of telling Kaitlyn, but it was probably her own magic that drove Sam away from her and worsened her aunt's condition.

Monsters are taught how to wield and displace their magic in a healthy fashion basically right after birth because magic buildup can have so many negative outcomes. He knew she would wholly blame herself for everything that had happened if she found out, even though she didn't really have any control over it. How could she have known what to do? Kaitlyn was a human, not a monster, so no one had taught her. Sans planned to do everything in his power to make sure she never found out.

"You okay, Sans?" She was looking over at him with concern.

"y-yeah, just got a lot on my mind. what, with the move and Gaster and the MEO, i guess i'm just a little stressed."

"You? Stressed? I never thought I'd hear that word come out of you." Kaitlyn chuckled. "You're the most relaxed person I've ever seen." Even as she said it, she knew it wasn't entirely true. Sans actually had a lot of worries, he just hid them well with an expertly crafted outward facade. At this thought she looked to him and said, "You know, you can always come and talk to me about anything you're worried about. I want to be able to help you without just absorbing emotions or reading how you're feeling. I want you to be able to talk with me openly."

Sans nodded. "i know, i feel the same way. i'll try and learn how to open up more, i promise. first things first though, i need to teach you how to control your magic."

"What do you mean? I thought you said was getting pretty good." Kaitlyn sulked slightly.

"don't get me wrong, you're absolutely excellent at _using_ it, but controlling it is something else entirely. right now, you're kinda like a faucet that just spews out magic 24/7, but that's not always good. for example, you say you can't really control feeling other peoples' emotions, right?" Kaitlyn nodded slowly, now fully absorbed in what he was saying. "well, you can actually learn to essentially turn 'off' your magic. that way you aren't forced to feel an onslaught of emotions every time you're in a crowd."

"How does it work? Does than mean you can turn your magic off and on?"

"i can but it's a little hard to explain how quickly. basically, my magic is 'on' when my left eye changes color and when i turn it 'off' they're normal. all monsters learn how to do this before they can even walk and all monsters' magic manifests itself in different ways so there are different ways of turning it off and on."

God, did that sound nice. Kaitlyn could hardly go out in public anymore because of the rush of different emotions that would flood her brain. The trip to the mall with Sans was the last time she'd gone out to a large public area, and afterwards she'd felt drained. She also found herself getting headaches when there were too many conflicting emotions fighting for her attention. Her magic was odd and she admitted she didn't know everything about it, but it seemed that depending on the person and the emotion, it was as though some feelings 'shouted' at her. Essentially, feelings were kind of like pillows being tossed around her but these 'shouted' feelings were more like rocks that lodged themselves into her head by force. The stronger the emotion, the harder it hit.

One of the things she liked about Sans was, ironically, his ability to mask his emotions. He naturally had quieter emotions, and she didn't feel pulled into confusing moods that weren't her own when she was with him. Plus, being around him even in a crowd lessened the effect of the 'louder' emotions around her. It was soothing when he was with her, like a walking aspirin that made puns.

"When can we start?" A look of determined readiness was set on Kaitlyn's face and Sans chortled at the seriousness she took on at his suggestion.

"after the move. i figured you might be interested, especially with your magic. seems like it might be a little mentally exhausting."

"You have no idea." She sighed. "Anyway, when exactly are you planning on meeting Gaster?" She eyed him curiously and felt a spike of nervousness come from him before calming down again.

"also probably, maybe after the move." Sans exhaled. "i don't know what i'm gonna say to him though."

"You don't have to have a plan for everything ya know. Some things are good to just improvise."

"i usually don't have a plan for anything, Kat, but i'm so damn nervous about seeing him. once nearly caused me to have a panic attack."

Kaitlyn smiled softly. "I'll be right there with you." She had a mischievous look overcome her features. "I know you've got the _guts_ for it!"

Sans snickered at the pun and her look of pride, as if she had just won a competition. "hey, don't have to _patella_ me twice."

"Oh wow, that was a pretty good one!" Kaitlyn threw her head back in laughter. The three ahead of them looked back in confusion until Sans waved a hand as if to say, 'it's okay, you probably don't want to hear it.'

And so, the unlikely group of friends continued forward, all of them nervous for the future but ready to take on the impending challenges together.

* * *

 ** _Hey again dear readers! I know this update was waaayy faster than usual but I'll be leaving for vacation soon so I wanted to get as much out as possible before leaving. The Gaster portion of the story is coming to a close so it'd be nice to have that finished so I can take a small breather. I need to collect my ideas for the story and pull them together into something intelligible before launching into the next character arc. I think you'll like it... Well I HOPE you'll like it anyway :3_**

 ** _Hopefully, I'll be able to post the next chapter in a day or so. If not, that will be the first thing I do when I get back from vacation! Thank you so much for all your support!_**


	22. The End?

The following weeks after Kaitlyn's release from the hospital flew by. Everyone made their own arrangements to be ready to leave for the city once Kaitlyn's ankle finally healed. Sans found some nice people to rent his and Paps' place while they were gone and Kaitlyn went ahead and cancelled her upcoming lease renewal.

She could hardly believe it was almost October already, but she couldn't wait until the cold weather finally made its long awaited appearance again. Summer was okay, and it's not like it ever got unbearably hot where she lived, but Kaitlyn couldn't deny her love of snuggling in layers of clothing or sipping hot cider beside a blazing fireplace or the feeling of joy at the impending holidays, each promising food and quality time with loved ones. She smiled at the thought of Halloween with real monsters, Papyrus' spaghetti at Thanksgiving, standing under mistletoe with Sans on Christmas Eve… Kaitlyn shook her head and slapped her cheeks lightly when she felt heat creep up her neck at that last thought.

She picked up a moving box and carefully carried it down Sans' and Paps' stairs. She had been staying on their couch for the last few days until their trip ever since she'd cancelled her lease. The trio had been packing for the last 24 hours, preparing to leave tomorrow afternoon… or at least Kaitlyn and Papyrus had been packing. Sans had been… doing whatever it was Sans did. Papyrus was taking a break and resting for a little bit.

Though, it would've been nice to have either of them near her at the moment. She'd misjudged the weight of the box she was holding and the steepness of the stairs. Kaitlyn did her best as the box wobbled precariously in her arms. She nearly made it halfway down before she felt herself begin to fall. She yelped as she went down and squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for impact, but it never came.

She glanced up to see herself and the box she'd been holding surrounded in a familiar blue glow.

"Thank goodness," she breathed a sigh of relief.

"well, i'd hate to see you back in a hospital after only just getting out. maybe leave the heavy lifting to me or Paps."

"You weren't here and Papyrus is taking a nap. Poor thing is exhausted." Kaitlyn attempted to plant herself back on her feet but Sans still had her floating just above where her feet could touch.

"hm. still, you should really _weight_ next time." He smirked at her struggled attempt to stand on her own.

"Good one," she rolled her eyes, stifling a small laugh. "Anyway, I didn't know when you'd be back. You seem to like leaving when there's work to do. And who knows where you go off to." She paused before motioning to herself and continuing, "Or should I say, where you _glow_ off to."

"aw, is that a hint of disappointment i detect? Kat, did you perhaps… miss me?" He grinned and strolled up the stairs to meet her halfway, still floating. "you do seem kinda _blue_ now that i get a closer look."

"No need to _stair_."

Sans shrugged. "can't help it. i guess i missed you too." His left eye which had been glowing the same cyan that was surrounding Kaitlyn dimmed as she floated down slowly into his waiting arms. "can you ever forgive me?"

She gently knocked her forehead to his, giggling like a silly, lovesick schoolgirl. "Maybe just this once." Kaitlyn closed her eyes and inhaled Sans' scent. Like pine and the forest. It had become familiar and comforting for her recently. "I love you."

Sans carried her down the stairs bridal style. He grunted a bit. "Kat please, you can't say that and expect me to retrain myself."

Kaitlyn laughed; she hadn't even realized she'd said it out loud. The last couple of days had been somewhat of a struggle for the two. They did their best to hide the occasional touch or kiss from Papyrus but living under the same roof and staying a "friendly" distance away from one another had proven to be a little difficult.

"Sorry, but it's true." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before jumping from his arms to her feet.

"god give me strength." He sighed and rubbed his head, clearing his mind of the thoughts recklessly running around his mind. "anyway, i came back because-"

"You're going to help pack?" Kaitlyn interjected with enthusiasm.

Sans laughed. "well, that too i guess. but i wanted to talk with you first."

"About?"

"Gaster."

"Oh." Kaitlyn was a little surprised. Gaster hadn't been around much recently, especially since she moved from her apartment, and Sans had been avoiding the topic of Gaster since they'd left the hospital. She had been beginning to think he'd changed his mind about talking to him and wondering how and when to bring him up to Sans. She hadn't really expected him to be the one to bring it up.

"i'm not one to break a promise, and i said i'd talk to him… has he said anything?"

"He… hasn't been around much. I think he wants to wait for you to be ready. When do you want to talk?"

"i dunno. i guess sooner is better than later. might as well get it over with, ya know? also, i'm kinda curious about what will happen now that he's, uh, half-existent."

Kaitlyn nodded.

"see if you can contact him… however you do. we'll talk later, when Papyrus is busy or something."

"He's asleep now."

"yeah, but he never naps for too long. that's more my thing. maybe if he goes to visit Undyne or when he falls asleep for the night. i'd rather not have him wake up in the middle of... whatever will end up happening."

"Okay, I'll see what I can do." Butterflies danced in her stomach, but she pushed them down to keep her nerves from showing.

"good." Sans nodded thoughtfully. "thanks, Kat." His gentle smile had the butterflies pushing their way back up for a completely different reason, but she gladly returned his smile.

Both returned to packing. It wasn't long before Papyrus woke up and joined them. A few hours of moving boxes, made much easier with Sans' blue magic, and the trio were practically finished. Everything they owned had been stuffed into boxes and crates then packed into a trailer they'd rented. None of the local moving companies had wanted to lend them a hand with movers due to the attacks on humans from the MEO. It seemed even sympathetic humans were turning their backs on the monsters to keep themselves safe. It upset Kaitlyn, but she couldn't say she didn't understand. At least they were letting them keep the truck for awhile.

She wiped her brow and leaned against the side of the truck, letting her sore arms and aching legs take a break.

"heya, i made some lemonade if you want any." Sans walked over, carrying two glasses of the delicious beverage while a third floated over his head. Kaitlyn gratefully took one and gulped down half of the glass.

A moment later, Papyrus was also at the truck, placing the last box inside. "WELL, AT LEAST YOU HELPED OUT A LITTLE BROTHER." He dusted his hands off. "THOUGH MORE MOVING AND LESS BEVERAGE MAKING WOULD HAVE BEEN APPRECIATED."

"does that mean you _don't_ want any then?"

"OF COURSE I DO! I'M DYING OF THIRST AFTER ALL THAT!" Papyrus grabbed for the floating glass and had the entire drink gone in seconds.

"AHHH, NICE WORK BROTHER! PERHAPS WE SHOULD HAVE HAD YOU ON DRINK DUTY ALL ALONG."

Sans shrugged, "always happy to help, bro. so, now that we're all packed, what's the plan?"

"I THINK I'LL HEAD TO UNDYNE'S UNTIL DINNER. I WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH HER BEFORE WE LEAVE..."

"'kay, i'll walk you over. what about you, Kat?"

"Think I'll stay here and rest. Tell Undyne and Alphys I said I'd miss them." As much as Kaitlyn wanted to go see her friends, she knew this might be her only chance to try and summon Gaster while Papyrus was gone. Otherwise, they would have to wait until after the move to see him. She waved as she watched the brothers walking away in the direction of Undyne's house.

It took Kaitlyn longer than she thought it would to reach Gaster. Even as Sans returned home from walking Papyrus over to Undyne's, she still hadn't had any luck reaching Gaster. She spent nearly an hour calling out to him in her mind like she'd done several times before, but she was beginning to worry something had happened to him. Just as she was about to go out and see if she could find him, he suddenly appeared before her.

"Gaster, there you are!" Kaitlyn breathed a sigh of relief. "Where have you been?"

"My apologies. Ever since my recent- uh- well, since more of myself came back to this world, my consciousness is slowly drifting away from the rift between times."

Kaitlyn ran her hand through her hair, looking puzzled. "I'm not sure I follow."

"It is quite complicated… you see, up until now, my body and consciousness have occupied a space between timelines. The 'void' as you have called it."

"I know that, but I thought you left that place when I brought you back here by saying your name?"

"if only the timelines and alternate planes of existence were that simple." Sans walked through the door.

"Oh, Sans! Sorry, I was about to come get you…" Kaitlyn looked around. "Also we're in your room, so sorry about that too. I tried calling out in every other room first and thought moving around might help."

"i don't really mind you being in here, but," Sans looked over to Gaster who simply stood dumbfounded and shocked that Sans was standing before him of his own free will. "not sure this is the place i want to talk. let's go somewhere else." Sans took hold of Kaitlyn's hand and motioned for her to take one of Gaster's. Once she obliged, his left eye blazed to life and the trio were suddenly in a completely different place.

"Where are we?" Kaitlyn asked looking around. It looked like a small work shed with blueprints scattered around and an odd looking machine half covered beneath a dirty, tattered cloth.

"my workshop. it's right outside the house."

"I've never noticed a workshop before." She picked up an old blueprint and an old photo of people she'd never seen before fluttered to the ground. Sans quickly picked up the photo and tucked it into his jacket pocket.

Weird. Kaitlyn thought but decided now wasn't the time to ask about it.

"i keep it hidden. when we moved from Snow- er, the Underground, I wanted to take this place with me. only Paps knows its here." He shrugged.

"You… you kept all of this?" Gaster placed a hand on one of the blueprints and ran his hand down the designs scrawled across it.

Sans stuffed his hands into his pockets. "well, yeah. i got into scientific research after you… disappeared."

"I know, I watched you and Papyrus after... a while. I guess I just didn't expect you to pick up where I left off."

"i didn't. i mainly kept all of this to study the resets and timelines. i wanted to at least try…" Sans' voice trailed off.

"Try…?" Kaitlyn urged him to continue his thought. This was the first she'd heard of any of this as well.

Sans sighed. "i thought i'd at least try to find you. it was unsettling that everyone had just forgotten about you. at first, it was almost a dream come true for me. i could finally start from scratch in a universe where no one knew i wasn't a real monster and i could protect Paps and let him live a normal life. but... i dunno, i couldn't get your face when you got sucked in out of my head, and how you wanted me to run rather than try to help you. i guess Paps rubbed off on me. he always wanted to believe there was someone... something better in you; someone who wanted to be a good person and just didn't want to let anyone down. maybe i began to see a bit of that too, so i wanted to at least try and find you." He folded his arms across his chest, though it looked like more of a defensive gesture to Kaitlyn.

"Hold on, I'm confused. Why did you get all worried when you found out I brought some of him back into existence if you'd tried bringing him back yourself?" She questioned.

"to be honest, it scared me. It had been so long since i'd tried and maybe while part of me wanted to try and get him back another part was terrified nothing would change if he did come back… you don't understand Kat. you don't know the things he did…"

Gaster looked down, ashamed of his past transgressions. "I am truly sorry Sans. I know nothing I say can undo what has already been done, but I swear to spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you. To everyone."

Sans looked a little skeptical but eventually sighed and dropped his folded arms down to his side. "guess we'll see." He shook his head. "also, i never got the chance to say it before, but thank you." Gaster looked up and met Sans' eyes. "for telling me where she was that night and for trying to stop her."

His eyes flickered with relief as they darted to glance over to Kaitlyn. "Of course. She can be a handful at times but someone must look out for her." Gaster ruffled her hair and Sans' eyes softened.

"got that right. she's a wild card for sure." He nodded and smiled.

"Aw, come on guys." She waved away Gaster's hand but couldn't hold back a smile of her own.

"You know, I know it might not be worth much, but I've watched you and Papyrus grow this whole time. I'm so proud of what you have both become, despite what I had done. All I ever wanted was to succeed but it turns out you two have done far more good than I ever could have."

"Paps would be happy to hear you say that… if he, uh, remembered you that is." Sans looked at the ground. "look G, you and i both know the things you did in the past were… less than humane, but Kat sees something in you. and Papyrus saw something in you before too. hell, even i saw glimmers of a good person at times. i... i can't say i'm ready to trust you yet-"

Gaster looked down as well. "I understand Sans. I promise you will not see me if you wish-"

Sans held up a hand. "but..." Gaster flinched. "i think everyone deserves second chances. Kat believes in you; she believes you've changed, and while i might not fully trust you," he looked over to Kaitlyn, "i trust her with every bone in my body." Kaitlyn rolled her eyes and snickered at his pun he'd sneaked in. "i guess what i'm trying to say is… i forgive you." He turned back to Gaster and held out a hand, smiling slightly.

Gaster was absolutely astonished. He had dreamed of this moment but never really thought it would come. Tears built in his eyes as he reached towards Sans' outstretched palm. The moment he touched it, he felt a warm feeling surround his Soul.

Kaitlyn's eyes widened as light began to radiate from Gaster, shrouding his body before dimming and disappearing completely. He looked… different somehow. Brighter. More… corporeal. Sans and Kaitlyn looked at one another then back at Gaster for a few moments.

"Gaster, I think you…" she stared. Gaster touched his chest, the area where his Soul would be, and laughed nervously. His happiness mixed with a sudden anxiety Kaitlyn felt begin to radiate from Sans.

"soooo... do either of you guys know how this affects the others' memories?" Sans eyes went dark and Kaitlyn swore he looked a little whiter than normal, if that was even possible.

"Um, well-"

"SANS! KATE! ARE YOU TWO PLAYING THE HIDE AND SEEK GAME? I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW I AM A SPECTACULAR SEEKER!" Gaster was interrupted mid-sentence by a wondering Papyrus, just outside the door.

"shit." Sans tried to calm his breathing. Sure, he was ready to give Gaster a second chance, but he wasn't ready to have Papyrus remember all of the things he'd done in the past to them. Papyrus would have nightmares for weeks!

"uh, can you maybe still go invisible by any chance?" He was beginning to panic. Seeing this, Gaster made a face of concentration and closed his eyes. When they opened again, he looked down at himself and shook his head, becoming a little frantic himself.

"ARE YOU HIDING IN THE MAILBOX PERHAPS? THE ONLY PLACE LEFT AFTER THAT IS SANS' WEIRD SECRET SHED-THINGY!"

"oh, no. no, no, no, no…" Sans was pacing back in forth and muttering under his breath.

Kaitlyn grabbed Sans by the shoulders to stop his pacing. "Sans, calm down! It'll be okay. He might not even remember him still! And if he does, we'll deal with it together."

"Kat, no. you-you don't get it! Paps, he used to-"

"Okay, then we'll teleport out!"

Sans smacked himself. "i'm an idiot." He quickly grabbed Kaitlyn's hand and just before they could blink out of existence, the doors to the shed swung open.

"AH-HA! I KNEW I WOULD FIND YOU TWO! AND UM-" Papyrus' eyes went to Gaster. "And… um…." He squinted his face in concentration. Everyone else had frozen, silently waiting for his next words.

"I-I'm sorry, but who are you?" The entire room seemed to exhale in relief as everyone else visibly relaxed.

"I-I am, um, my name is G-Gaster. Nice to, ah, meet you."

"Oh! Well it is nice to meet you too, mister Gaster!" Papyrus bounded over to shake his hand.

"Please, just Gaster is fine." He smiled, taking his hand.

"Sans, why didn't you tell me we would have a guest! I haven't prepared anything!" Papyrus leaned over, somehow whispering loudly to his shell-shocked brother.

"well, uh… he, this is, um…"

"I-I invited him over! Sorry Paps, I wanted it to be a surprise." Kaitlyn interjected, saving Sans from having to answer.

"AH YES, I SEE! WELL, THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOES LOVE SURPRISES!" He smiled widely at Gaster, who simply gave a weak nod and hesitant smile in return. "Though, you do seem familiar… do I know you from somewhere?" He squinted and Gaster froze up again.

"do you not know who you know?" Sans snapped from his shock and came to Gaster's rescue this time.

"PBPBPPBPT! OF COURSE I KNOW WHO I KNOW! THAT WAS A JUST A... A TEST! I WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU KNOW WHO I KNOW WHO I KNOW!" Papyrus looked questioningly at Sans. "...You know?"

"of course bro." Sans nodded as if what was just said made perfect sense. "i think it's safe to say i know who you know who you know just as much as you know who you know who you know, ya know?" Kaitlyn was completely lost but Papyrus was now nodding back at his brother vigorously.

"OF COURSE!" He turned back to Gaster who looked about as confused as Kaitlyn felt. "So mister -er, I mean Gaster, will you be joining us on our journey to the monster capital as well?"

"O-oh, I do not think-"

"Yes, he will!" Kaitlyn said quickly before Gaster or Sans could refuse. Both of the skeletons raised their eyebrows at her outburst, though one looked slightly irritated about it, while Papyrus just smiled wider and clapped his hands together in joy.

"PERFECT! I SHALL MAKE A CELEBRATORY DINNER RIGHT AWAY THEN!" And with that, he was out the door and running back into the house, leaving the trio where he'd found them.

"U-um…" Gaster felt a little awkward. He hadn't expected to speak with Papyrus again so soon, and as though they were strangers… even though in a way, they almost were. It was also not hard to see the tension between Sans and Kaitlyn at the moment, which didn't help his feeling of discomfort.

"Kaitlyn. talk. upstairs. now." Sans blinked out of existence leaving her and Gaster alone.

She sighed. "Well, that's my cue. C'mon Gaster, let's go inside. You can wait downstairs and help Paps. Talk to him a little more. I'll be down with a smiling Sans before you know it!" She smiled, trying to give a little comfort to the shaken monster beside her. Slowly, he followed her out and into the house.

Kaitlyn left him with Papyrus to cook, climbed the stairs and knocked gently on Sans' door. It glowed blue for a moment before swinging open, dragging her in then slamming shut behind her.

"since when was he coming with us!" Sans voice was just shy of a yell and Kaitlyn flinched.

"You didn't expect him to stay here did you? Besides, this is a big moment for him! He finally fully exists now! We can't just leave him to fend for himself in a world he probably doesn't know very well yet!"

Sans folded his arms. "i did _not_ agree to this."

"Well, where would you have him go then?" Kaitlyn crossed her own arms.

"to hell, if i had any say…" he grumbled.

"Sans." She glared and he conceded with a sigh. She knew he was just upset with her for being brash more than anything.

"i don't know. Alphys' place maybe? they used to be kinda close… well, until Undyne anyway." He plopped onto his bed, moping.

"They were close?" Kaitlyn sat down beside him. "I knew he trained her or something but I didn't know they were friends…"

"he was more like a father figure to her actually." Sans laid his head back and draped his arm over his face. "i used to hate her. she found out what he'd been doing to us one day. she'd always known we existed. she'd come bring us food sometimes or blankets or toys. i used to try and tell her what he'd do, but she never believed me. apparently he was some kind of saint to her." Sans scoffed then sighed. "forgiveness, Sans. forgiveness."

He exhaled and rubbed his temples before continuing. "she was kind to us, so i was sure the day she found out what he'd really been up to, she would help us get out but… she ran away. left and never came back. the next time i saw her, she was running her own lab to replace Gaster after he'd disappeared."

"You don't hate her anymore though." It was a statement rather than a question. Kaitlyn was positive he didn't hate Alphys. She could tell from when the three had worked together.

Sans shook his head. "nah, i guess some of Paps really did rub off on me." He gave a short snicker before continuing. "i think she was just scared. i would've been too though, so i can't say i blame her." Sans uncovered his face to look at Kaitlyn. "i guess it was Undyne and the experiment that drove her away from G."

"Why do you call him that?" She leaned down on her elbows to get closer to him.

Sans laughed. "cuz he used to hate it. he'd insist we call him 'mister Gaster' or 'Doctor Gaster.' I think Paps might have some residual memories of that. he seems to prefer the opposite now though." Sans chuckled. "kinda rattled his bones when Paps added 'mister' before."

Kaitlyn watched him as he laughed. Her eyes became soft and she smiled at his happiness. "I'm so happy you decided to talk to him, Sans. And I'm proud of how you handled everything."

"huh?"

"It's just, I know it must've been hard. And I know it took a lot of courage to talk to him and forgive him like you did. I'm glad you did. And… I guess I wanted to thank you for doing it. I know you didn't really want to."

"maybe not, but i think it was good, for both of us. he needed to hear it and i needed to say it. now we can both move forward." He looked over at Kaitlyn. "i don't think i ever would've done that if i hadn't met you though, so don't thank me. we should both be thanking you, Kat."

"What happened down there by the way?"

"what?"

"Why didn't you teleport us out or make Gaster float or literally just walk outside so Papyrus didn't see him?"

"i... i panicked, okay." He sighed, frustrated at his own stupidity.

"That's... not like you though."

"it's hard to explain... i just..." Sans took a deep breath. "i know he's different now. i trust you and i've even seen it for myself but... when i see him, i just- i go back to when things were..." Kaitlyn placed her hand on his shoulder. He was shaking.

"Sans..."

"sorry, i know i'm not explaining this well."

She shook her head. "It's okay. I know you're not used to sharing emotions like I am and you're not a huge fan of talking about your past. You don't have to talk about it if you aren't ready, I understand." He looked over to Kaitlyn and she smiled gently. "Thank you for trying though."

He smiled weakly and shook his head. "no, i'm okay. i can do this. just give me a second." He closed his eyes and clenched his hands together in concentration. "i won't go into specifics, but there was a time before that i was terrified of Gaster. not that that's much of a shock. he used to force us to repress our magic then go all out during tests he'd run. when i saw him for the first time, back in your apartment, he was strapped down and harmless. couldn't even use his own magic, but i froze. even with you in danger, just seeing him made me forget everything. it was like i was back in that place... in the dark, all alone. cold and scared..." He shuddered. "i know i said i'd give him another chance and that i forgive him, and i do. really, but..." His eyes opened and went dark. "i will never forget. i can't."

"So, just being around him makes you a little panicky."

"that's what it all boils down to, yeah."

"You don't have to feel ashamed for not forgetting or getting nervous around him, Sans." He glanced over at her.

"is that really even forgiveness though?"

"Of course it is! He came back didn't he? I don't think he would have if you didn't truly forgive him. Besides, I don't blame you for not wanting or being able to forget. I couldn't even bring myself to forgive Sam or Ashleigh for what they did and they were my best friends before... everything happened. Even if I ever do bring myself to forgive them, I'd never be able to forget. Gaster was obviously anything but a friend to you and Papyrus before and you can still find it in you to forgive him! Honestly, I find it all kind of amazing."

"you were the one who begged me to forgive him!"

"I know, but I would've understood if you couldn't. That's why I tried not to push you into it. Sure, I'd ask but I never expected you to do anything you weren't ready for. I never knew the Gaster you knew and you barely know who he is now. It wouldn't be fair of me to expect you to move on just like that."

Sans exhaled. "well, that's kind of a relief. i guess i was kind of putting that on myself more than anything. i thought if i couldn't move beyond it you might be... disappointed."

Kaitlyn smacked his head, not hard, but enough to get his attention. "You dummy. I could never be disappointed with you."

"that's good to know." He stood up from beside her and held out a hand. She took it and he pulled her up alongside him. "for what it's worth, i wouldn't be able to go through any of this without you. thank you for staying beside me." He looked away, slightly uncomfortable. Kaitlyn beamed at his bashful face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him to her.

"Thanks for letting me in. I know it's hard for you, but I'm always here if you need support." She pulled back and led him to the door. "Now, let's go down and see how those two are doing."

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 _ **And so concludes Gaster's portion of the story. I hope you all enjoyed it! Like I mentioned in the previous chapter, I'll be on vacation for the summer so it may be a while before I can post again. Worry not though because I have TONS of ideas on the next part :3 I thought about posting it as a brand new story but I felt some type of way marking this one as 'complete' when there are still SOOO many things I have yet to wrap up.  
**_

 _ **I hope you look forward to the upcoming storylines! I'll put a tiny preview after the author's note so you guys have something to look forward to (and because I'm evil and like to keep you all waiting :) ) and also because I had already planned out a summary if I made it into a sequel rather than a continuation. In the mean time, feel free to leave any suggestions or comments in the reviews. Have a great summer guys and see you all real soon for the continuation of Saving Them!**_

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Preview: _All is peaceful for Kaitlyn and her friends after moving to the capital. Sans has been helping her practice controlling her magic better and Gaster begins his long overdue task of repairing past relationships with monsters that can't seem to remember him. However, more problems arise as familiar faces make an appearance. A child with the power to reset, a talking flower who finds out a dark secret, a newfound power, and behind each phenomenon, an evil presence begins to make itself known. Will Kaitlyn and her friends find the strength to take on not only their own futures, but someone else's mysterious past as well? Find out in part 2 of Saving Them: Prince of Darkness._


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